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[P1–600]: WORKING MEMORY TRAINING IN HEALTHY ELDERLY: A META‐ANALYSIS
Author(s) -
Racine Eva,
Plourde Marika,
Simard Martine
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
alzheimer's and dementia
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 6.713
H-Index - 118
eISSN - 1552-5279
pISSN - 1552-5260
DOI - 10.1016/j.jalz.2017.06.616
Subject(s) - neurocognitive , working memory , cognitive training , cognition , psychology , executive functions , working memory training , episodic memory , cognitive skill , effects of sleep deprivation on cognitive performance , meta analysis , cognitive psychology , verbal memory , medicine , psychiatry
p1⁄40.04) and MCI (17 RCTs, g1⁄40.35, p<0.01). Effects in MCI extended to global cognition and psychosocial functioning. Memory benefits were found in healthy older adults and MCI but not in PD. Effects on executive functions (EF) were found in PD (g1⁄40.30, p1⁄40.04) but not in MCI. In healthy older adults, CCT effects on EF were limited to mid-level functions (e.g., inhibition, shifting and low working memory), compared to null effects on higher-order functions, especially reasoning and complex working memory. Working memory training did not transfer to any domain, including working memory. In dementia, statistically significant effects were noted only in studies that used virtual reality or videogames, including exergaming. These methods were also associated with effects on EF across all other populations. Effects across active-controlled studies were nearly identical to those with passive control, and there was no systematic evidence of publication bias. Conclusions:CCT is efficacious on cognition in older adults, with larger and greater efficacy in MCI, including meaningful effects on clinical outcomes of global cognition and psychosocial functioning. Lack of efficacy on EF, especially higher-order functions, remains a challenge in the field. Yet results from trials of virtual reality or videogames warrant further research focusing specifically on improving EF in MCI as well as in people with dementia. Long-term studies using supervised training are required to investigate the potential of CCT to delay dementia onset in people at high risk for conversion.