P.A.R.T. Next

Name: P.A.R.T. Next
Author: Northeastern University

Northeastern University

DOCUMENTED

Published in academic literature

For:Researchers & AcademicsIndustry Professionals

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App Summary

P.A.R.T. Next is a research development platform used to create and test cognitive assessment and training protocols targeting executive functions like working memory. The associated research provides evidence that training on demanding working memory tasks can transfer to improvements in fluid intelligence, with gains dependent on the amount of training. The authors conclude that it is possible to improve this core cognitive ability without practicing the testing tasks themselves, opening a wide range of applications.

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Detailed Description

Functionality & Mechanism

P.A.R.T. Next is an advanced development environment from Northeastern University's Brain Game Center for creating and testing cognitive protocols. The system provides a comprehensive scripting interface to design and configure assessment batteries and gamified training interventions. Researchers leverage its modules for central auditory processing, executive function, and attentional control, utilizing detailed data logging capabilities to validate protocol parameters and adaptive algorithms before deployment in formal human subject research.

Evidence & Research Context

The platform is designed to facilitate the creation of cognitive training interventions grounded in established research on neuroplasticity and learning transfer.
The scientific basis for such interventions is supported by findings that training on a demanding working memory task can transfer to significant improvements in fluid intelligence (Gf).
This transfer effect is noted to be dosage-dependent, where increased training volume correlates with greater gains in Gf without direct practice on the intelligence test itself.
The system's development was supported by federal grants from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Department of Defense (DOD).

Intended Use & Scope

This platform is intended exclusively for researchers and developers as a pre-clinical environment for protocol design, configuration, and validation. Its primary utility is the creation of novel cognitive assessments and training modules. P.A.R.T. Next is not a data collection tool for human subject research; all developed protocols require separate implementation within IRB-approved study frameworks.

Studies & Publications

1 publication

Peer-reviewed research associated with this app.

Non-Evaluative Reference

Improving fluid intelligence with training on working memory

Jaeggi et al. (2008) · Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences

Referenced in academic literature; no direct evaluation of the app

Fluid intelligence (Gf) refers to the ability to reason and to solve new problems independently of previously acquired knowledge. Gf is critical for a wide variety of cognitive tasks, and it is considered one of the most important factors in learning. Moreover, Gf is closely related to professional and educational success, especially in complex and demanding environments. Although performance on tests of Gf can be improved through direct practice on the tests themselves, there is no evidence that training on any other regimen yields increased Gf in adults. Furthermore, there is a long history of research into cognitive training showing that, although performance on trained tasks can increase dramatically, transfer of this learning to other tasks remains poor. Here, we present evidence for transfer from training on a demanding working memory task to measures of Gf. This transfer results even though the trained task is entirely different from the intelligence test itself. Furthermore, we demonstrate that the extent of gain in intelligence critically depends on the amount of training: the more training, the more improvement in Gf. That is, the training effect is dosage-dependent. Thus, in contrast to many previous studies, we conclude that it is possible to improve Gf without practicing the testing tasks themselves, opening a wide range of applications.

In the Media

Can you train your brain for better memory? This Northeastern study points to yes

Northeastern University's Susanne Jaeggi developed P.A.R.T. Next using games from the Brain Game Center for Mental Fitness and Well-Being to improve working memory skills through personalized training. Jaeggi's research found that "people can benefit from training their working memory skills and that machine learning algorithms can be used to predict a person's working memory performance." The study with 568 undergraduate participants demonstrated that personalized memory training exercises can function like physical workouts for cognitive improvement.

NortheasternRead article

Does Working Memory Training Improve Cognitive Skills?

Northeastern University's Brain Game Center for Mental Fitness and Well-Being developed P.A.R.T. Next to improve working memory skills through personalized training games using machine learning algorithms. "If we know very early on in what tiers that people end up or how fast that they learn, we can then also personalize their training experience," said psychology professor Susanne Jaeggi. The research with 568 undergraduate students demonstrated that machine learning can predict learning patterns and customize memory training for individual users.

NortheasternRead article

Do "brain training" apps work? Northeastern scientists will test unique interventions for adolescents with ADHD

Northeastern University professors Susanne Jaeggi and Aaron Seitz developed P.A.R.T. Next to address fundamental gaps in cognitive training research for adolescents with ADHD, using game-based interventions to improve memory and attention functions. The scientific community widely agrees that "when a person plays 'brain training' games, they will foster specific skills and get better at playing the game," according to Jaeggi. The researchers have collaborated for almost 10 years on ways to assess and improve cognitive skills through gaming applications.

NortheasternRead article

Do"brain training" apps work? Northeastern scientists will test unique interventions for adolescents with ADHD

Northeastern University professors Susanne Jaeggi and Aaron Seitz developed P.A.R.T. Next to address the fundamental gap in cognitive training research, using game-based interventions to improve memory and attention functions in adolescents with ADHD. The researchers have been collaborating for almost 10 years on ways to assess and improve people's cognitive skills through gaming applications. Their work focuses on enhancing auditory processing, visual processing, working memory, sustained attention, decision-making and executive functions.

NortheasternRead article

Brain Games, with Dr. Susanne Jaeggi and Dr. Aaron Seitz - This Is Your Brain

Dr. Susanne Jaeggi and Dr. Aaron Seitz from UC Irvine and UC Riverside developed P.A.R.T. Next to improve cognitive skills and working memory through brain training games, conducting a nationwide study of their effectiveness. Seitz notes that while "there's a lot of evidence that even off the shelf video games can lead to certain types of improvements in brain functions," researchers "don't know that they do work consistently or for whom." The research addresses a $1.9 billion brain training app market where little scientific validation exists.

ThisisyourbrainRead article

Nationwide project seeks to understand how brain exercises produce cognitive benefits

UC Riverside's Brain Game Center developed P.A.R.T. Next to understand how memory training produces cognitive benefits, launching a nationwide project funded by the National Institute of Mental Health. The study aims to engage 30,000 people in different variants of memory training, with director Aaron Seitz stating, "We want to understand which training approaches lead to what types of benefits in different individuals." The large-scale project seeks to resolve scientific controversies surrounding brain training effectiveness and explore personalized cognitive training approaches.

UcrRead article