Feasibility of a Home-Based Task-Switching Training in Middle-Aged Caregivers

Overview

Journal J Cogn Enhanc

Date 2022 Aug 15

PMID 35966367

Authors

Sarah Susanne Lutke Lanfer

Soren Enge

Marlen Melzer

Jurgen Wegge

Matthias Kliegel

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

The current study aimed at investigating feasibility of a self-administered task-switching training in a middle-aged working population. Eighty-one caregivers (41-62 years old) were instructed to train at home 8 times either within a 7- or 14-day interval. Only 56.7% performed more than 50% of the instructed number of training sessions. However, compliant caregivers (who completed more than 4 training sessions) showed significant training gains and transfer to an untrained task-switching task. Although transfer effects to other cognitive tasks were not found, trained participants tended to report fewer everyday memory failures than a control group. In conclusion, the implementation of a home-based task-switching training in everyday life of caregivers is possible. However, there is only limited evidence for generalization of results of previous laboratory studies. Adherence and transfer to other cognitive tasks are discussed as important challenges in conveying laboratory findings into real life.

References

Luis-Ruiz S, Caldu X, Sanchez-Castaneda C, Pueyo R, Garolera M, Jurado M . Is cognitive training an effective tool for improving cognitive function and real-life behaviour in healthy children and adolescents? A systematic review. Neurosci Biobehav Rev. 2020; 116:268-282. DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2020.06.019. View

Melby-Lervag M, Hulme C . There is no convincing evidence that working memory training is effective: A reply to Au et al. (2014) and Karbach and Verhaeghen (2014). Psychon Bull Rev. 2015; 23(1):324-30. DOI: 10.3758/s13423-015-0862-z. View

Haas M, Zuber S, Kliegel M, Ballhausen N . Prospective memory errors in everyday life: does instruction matter?. Memory. 2020; 28(2):196-203. DOI: 10.1080/09658211.2019.1707227. View

Schaie K . The course of adult intellectual development. Am Psychol. 1994; 49(4):304-13. DOI: 10.1037//0003-066x.49.4.304. View

Wilson R, Boyle P, Yu L, Barnes L, Schneider J, Bennett D . Life-span cognitive activity, neuropathologic burden, and cognitive aging. Neurology. 2013; 81(4):314-21. PMC: 3772831. DOI: 10.1212/WNL.0b013e31829c5e8a. View

Reijnders J, van Heugten C, van Boxtel M . Cognitive interventions in healthy older adults and people with mild cognitive impairment: a systematic review. Ageing Res Rev. 2012; 12(1):263-75. DOI: 10.1016/j.arr.2012.07.003. View

Salthouse T . Constraints on theories of cognitive aging. Psychon Bull Rev. 2013; 3(3):287-99. DOI: 10.3758/BF03210753. View

Wolinsky F, Jones M, Dotson M . Does Visual Speed of Processing Training Improve Health-Related Quality of Life in Assisted and Independent Living Communities?: A Randomized Controlled Trial. Innov Aging. 2020; 4(4):igaa029. PMC: 7489078. DOI: 10.1093/geroni/igaa029. View

Park D, Shaw R . Effect of environmental support on implicit and explicit memory in younger and older adults. Psychol Aging. 1992; 7(4):632-42. DOI: 10.1037//0882-7974.7.4.632. View

10.

Bergman-Nutley S, Klingberg T . Effect of working memory training on working memory, arithmetic and following instructions. Psychol Res. 2014; 78(6):869-77. DOI: 10.1007/s00426-014-0614-0. View

11.

Amieva H, Stoykova R, Matharan F, Helmer C, Antonucci T, Dartigues J . What aspects of social network are protective for dementia? Not the quantity but the quality of social interactions is protective up to 15 years later. Psychosom Med. 2010; 72(9):905-11. DOI: 10.1097/PSY.0b013e3181f5e121. View

12.

Ihle A, Borella E, Rahnfeld M, Muller S, Enge S, Hacker W . The role of cognitive resources for subjective work ability and health in nursing. Eur J Ageing. 2017; 12(2):131-140. PMC: 5549137. DOI: 10.1007/s10433-014-0331-y. View

13.

Gray-Burrows K, Taylor N, OConnor D, Sutherland E, Stoet G, Conner M . A systematic review and meta-analysis of the executive function-health behaviour relationship. Health Psychol Behav Med. 2021; 7(1):253-268. PMC: 8114370. DOI: 10.1080/21642850.2019.1637740. View

14.

Hering A, Kliegel M, Rendell P, Craik F, Rose N . Prospective Memory Is a Key Predictor of Functional Independence in Older Adults. J Int Neuropsychol Soc. 2018; 24(6):640-645. DOI: 10.1017/S1355617718000152. View

15.

Hardy J, Nelson R, Thomason M, Sternberg D, Katovich K, Farzin F . Enhancing Cognitive Abilities with Comprehensive Training: A Large, Online, Randomized, Active-Controlled Trial. PLoS One. 2015; 10(9):e0134467. PMC: 4557999. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0134467. View

16.

Gajewski P, Thones S, Falkenstein M, Wascher E, Getzmann S . Multidomain Cognitive Training Transfers to Attentional and Executive Functions in Healthy Older Adults. Front Hum Neurosci. 2020; 14:586963. PMC: 7701175. DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2020.586963. View

17.

Sternberg R . Increasing fluid intelligence is possible after all. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2008; 105(19):6791-2. PMC: 2383939. DOI: 10.1073/pnas.0803396105. View

18.

Lampit A, Hallock H, Valenzuela M . Computerized cognitive training in cognitively healthy older adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis of effect modifiers. PLoS Med. 2014; 11(11):e1001756. PMC: 4236015. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pmed.1001756. View

19.

Lamont R, Swift H, Abrams D . A review and meta-analysis of age-based stereotype threat: negative stereotypes, not facts, do the damage. Psychol Aging. 2015; 30(1):180-193. PMC: 4360754. DOI: 10.1037/a0038586. View

20.

Verhaeghen P, Marcoen A, Goossens L . Improving memory performance in the aged through mnemonic training: a meta-analytic study. Psychol Aging. 1992; 7(2):242-51. DOI: 10.1037//0882-7974.7.2.242. View