The Transfer Effects of Cognitive Training on Working Memory Among Chinese Older Adults With Mild Cognitive Impairment: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Overview

Journal Front Aging Neurosci

Specialty Geriatrics

Date 2019 Sep 3

PMID 31474850

Citations 19

Authors

Wenqi Weng

Jiaming Liang

Jiang Xue

Tingfei Zhu

Yuxing Jiang

Jiayu Wang

Shulin Chen

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

: To explore the transfer effects of cognitive training on working memory among older Chinese adults with mild cognitive impairment (MCI). : Sixty-two MCI participants aged more than 60 years old were recruited by holding recruitment sessions in communities in China [33 for cognitive training, and 29 for mental leisure activities (MLA) control]. Cognitive functions, including working memory, execution function, reasoning ability, verbal ability, ability of daily living, were measured at three time-points (baseline, post-training and 3 months after training). : Compared to the MLA control, the cognitive training group showed significant effects in both the trained (working memory) and untrained (execution function and ability of daily living) domains. The effects of cognitive training on overall cognitive function, working memory and daily life ability of daily living of MCI could be maintained for at least 3 months, even without the cognitive training. Besides, complete mediating effects of cognitive training were found in executive function through working memory and working memory in ability of daily living though executive function, which suggests the presence of transfer effect of cognitive training. : The present study supported that cognitive training could effectively improve working memory in elders with MCI. The training effects on working memory could transfer to other untrained areas (such as executive function), which also improved the comprehensive ability (ability of daily living). And the effects of training could largely persist for 3 months.

Citing Articles

Efficacy of wooden toy training in alleviating cognitive decline in elderly individuals with cognitive impairment: A cluster randomized controlled study.

Cheng Q, Wang H, Cui M, Wang Q, Li L PLoS One. 2024; 19(10):e0309685.

PMID: 39405303 PMC: 11478890. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0309685.

A Systematic Review and Narrative Synthesis of Cognitive Training in the Treatment of Mental Illness and Substance Use Disorder.

Gillespie K, Dymond A, Li X, Schweitzer D, Branjerdporn G, Khan S J Clin Med. 2024; 13(15).

PMID: 39124616 PMC: 11312778. DOI: 10.3390/jcm13154348.

Tactile discrimination as a diagnostic indicator of cognitive decline in patients with mild cognitive impairment: A narrative review.

Xu J, Sun Y, Zhu X, Pan S, Tong Z, Jiang K Heliyon. 2024; 10(10):e31256.

PMID: 38803967 PMC: 11129005. DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e31256.

Predictors for quality of life in older adults: network analysis on cognitive and neuropsychiatric symptoms.

He C, Kong X, Li J, Wang X, Chen X, Wang Y BMC Geriatr. 2023; 23(1):850.

PMID: 38093173 PMC: 10720074. DOI: 10.1186/s12877-023-04462-4.

Characteristics of Preoperative Acute Myocardial Infarction in Elderly Hip Fracture Patients and Construction of a Clinical Prediction Model: A Retrospective Cohort Study.

Zhang Y, Liu Y, Fu M, Wang Z, Hou Z Clin Interv Aging. 2023; 18:1985-1994.

PMID: 38050621 PMC: 10693827. DOI: 10.2147/CIA.S428092.

References

Jobe J, Smith D, Ball K, Tennstedt S, Marsiske M, Willis S . ACTIVE: a cognitive intervention trial to promote independence in older adults. Control Clin Trials. 2001; 22(4):453-79. PMC: 2916177. DOI: 10.1016/s0197-2456(01)00139-8. View

Barnett S, Ceci S . When and where do we apply what we learn? A taxonomy for far transfer. Psychol Bull. 2002; 128(4):612-37. DOI: 10.1037/0033-2909.128.4.612. View

Jonides J . How does practice makes perfect?. Nat Neurosci. 2003; 7(1):10-1. DOI: 10.1038/nn0104-10. View

Nasreddine Z, Phillips N, Bedirian V, Charbonneau S, Whitehead V, Collin I . The Montreal Cognitive Assessment, MoCA: a brief screening tool for mild cognitive impairment. J Am Geriatr Soc. 2005; 53(4):695-9. DOI: 10.1111/j.1532-5415.2005.53221.x. View

Hausdorff J, Yogev G, Springer S, Simon E, Giladi N . Walking is more like catching than tapping: gait in the elderly as a complex cognitive task. Exp Brain Res. 2005; 164(4):541-8. DOI: 10.1007/s00221-005-2280-3. View

Edwards J, Wadley V, Vance D, Wood K, Roenker D, Ball K . The impact of speed of processing training on cognitive and everyday performance. Aging Ment Health. 2005; 9(3):262-71. DOI: 10.1080/13607860412331336788. View

Yogev G, Giladi N, Peretz C, Springer S, Simon E, Hausdorff J . Dual tasking, gait rhythmicity, and Parkinson's disease: which aspects of gait are attention demanding?. Eur J Neurosci. 2005; 22(5):1248-56. DOI: 10.1111/j.1460-9568.2005.04298.x. View

Willis S, Schaie K . Cognitive training and plasticity: theoretical perspective and methodological consequences. Restor Neurol Neurosci. 2009; 27(5):375-89. PMC: 3607292. DOI: 10.3233/RNN-2009-0527. View

Seidler R, Bernard J, Burutolu T, Fling B, Gordon M, Gwin J . Motor control and aging: links to age-related brain structural, functional, and biochemical effects. Neurosci Biobehav Rev. 2009; 34(5):721-33. PMC: 2838968. DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2009.10.005. View

10.

Jean L, Bergeron M, Thivierge S, Simard M . Cognitive intervention programs for individuals with mild cognitive impairment: systematic review of the literature. Am J Geriatr Psychiatry. 2010; 18(4):281-96. DOI: 10.1097/JGP.0b013e3181c37ce9. View

11.

Verghese J, Mahoney J, Ambrose A, Wang C, Holtzer R . Effect of cognitive remediation on gait in sedentary seniors. J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci. 2010; 65(12):1338-43. DOI: 10.1093/gerona/glq127. View

12.

Li H, Li J, Li N, Li B, Wang P, Zhou T . Cognitive intervention for persons with mild cognitive impairment: A meta-analysis. Ageing Res Rev. 2010; 10(2):285-96. DOI: 10.1016/j.arr.2010.11.003. View

13.

Morrison A, Chein J . Does working memory training work? The promise and challenges of enhancing cognition by training working memory. Psychon Bull Rev. 2011; 18(1):46-60. DOI: 10.3758/s13423-010-0034-0. View

14.

Gao Z, Wang W, Zhao X, Shang Y, Bai X, Wu W . [A follow-up study on cognitive changes of mild cognitive impairment in the elderly]. Zhonghua Yi Xue Za Zhi. 2011; 91(1):37-9. View

15.

Albert M, DeKosky S, Dickson D, Dubois B, Feldman H, Fox N . The diagnosis of mild cognitive impairment due to Alzheimer's disease: recommendations from the National Institute on Aging-Alzheimer's Association workgroups on diagnostic guidelines for Alzheimer's disease. Alzheimers Dement. 2011; 7(3):270-9. PMC: 3312027. DOI: 10.1016/j.jalz.2011.03.008. View

16.

Dresler M, Sandberg A, Ohla K, Bublitz C, Trenado C, Mroczko-Wasowicz A . Non-pharmacological cognitive enhancement. Neuropharmacology. 2012; 64:529-43. DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2012.07.002. View

17.

Anderson S, White-Schwoch T, Parbery-Clark A, Kraus N . Reversal of age-related neural timing delays with training. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2013; 110(11):4357-62. PMC: 3600492. DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1213555110. View

18.

Kwok T, Wong A, Chan G, Shiu Y, Lam K, Young D . Effectiveness of cognitive training for Chinese elderly in Hong Kong. Clin Interv Aging. 2013; 8:213-9. PMC: 3578501. DOI: 10.2147/CIA.S38070. View

19.

Smith-Ray R, Hughes S, Prohaska T, Little D, Jurivich D, Hedeker D . Impact of Cognitive Training on Balance and Gait in Older Adults. J Gerontol B Psychol Sci Soc Sci. 2013; 70(3):357-66. PMC: 4542642. DOI: 10.1093/geronb/gbt097. View

20.

Razali R, Jean-Li L, Jaffar A, Ahmad M, Shah S, Ibrahim N . Is the Bahasa Malaysia version of the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA-BM) a better instrument than the Malay version of the Mini Mental State Examination (M-MMSE) in screening for mild cognitive impairment (MCI) in the elderly?. Compr Psychiatry. 2013; 55 Suppl 1:S70-5. DOI: 10.1016/j.comppsych.2013.04.010. View