Skip to main content

Merits of Late Life Cognitive Training: Findings, Controversies, and a Way Forward


Research seeks to preserve and improve brain function through cognitive training. Photo Credit:  PBS.org
                                                                        
The Lefeber Winter Series on Aging welcomed Dr. Michael Marsiske to speak on research challenging the notion of irreversible declines that occur with aging. Recent research hopes to bolster the well being of the older adult population through cognitive training (CT). While vocabulary and knowledge increase with age, older adults show decreases in processing and memory. Decreases can continue until an older adult’s functional threshold is reached. Concern with preventing functional impairment has spurred the development of several commercial products and “brain games,” though many are not rooted in evidence. Most CT interventions have been done using healthy adult participants with the goal of preventing cognitive/functional decline rather than rehabilitating older adults who present with cognitive impairments. The question of whether or not age-related decline can be improved with CT is being answered with an encouraging “yes” through studies. A more challenging question posed is whether or not CT can actually improve everyday functioning. Training transfer is the term for how well tasks of CT in particular areas can be beneficial for improving separate yet similar activities. Research has found that the effects of training tend to be narrow and specific to the practiced task rather than generally applicable to all skills and abilities.
            The ACTIVE trial, a study initiated in 1996, differed from previous CT studies in that it was a multistate, randomized-controlled, and ethnically inclusive trial. Around 3,000 older adults (76% of which were female) were included in the study, excluding those showing signs of dementia or moderate functional impairment. Participants were randomized into four groups that focused on different types of training:  reasoning, memory, attention (called speed of processing), and no training. The groups were followed for 10 years after a minimum total training time of 10 hours and a maximum total training time of 18 hours. Disclosed critiques of the trial were under-representing the “old” old while over-representing the “young” old and the fact that many participants didn’t survive the extent of the follow-up period. Self-reporting and games/tests were used as well as the driving records of participants to measure functional ability. In all three areas of CT trained individuals on average experienced substantial improvement in mental functioning over those who were untrained. In the reasoning and attention groups, functional benefits were maintained above the untrained group and at/above baseline for 10 years. The memory group on average maintained a level of functioning superior to the untrained group throughout follow-up, but a decline below baseline began after 5 years. Greater functioning was measured in those trained for more hours.
            Future research will focus on using available technology measuring brain activity to personalize training to unique functional needs. It is disputed whether focusing more time on specific activities will be too narrow. There is a need to prove that greater amounts of CT benefit older adults. Combination studies with CT and exercise/mindfulness to compare singular and compounded benefits are also warranted.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Why Eating Resistant Starches May Bolster Health

Resistant starches come in 5 classes, one of which can be found in unripe (green) bananas. Photo Credit:  Mnn.com        There's been quite a lot of buzz lately over prebiotics, probiotics, gluten-free eating and low-carb diets. Carbohydrates really take a lot of flack for being a contributor to type two diabetes melitus and the obesity epidemic, but what about complex starches that fall under the umbrella of this controversial macronutrient?  What about resistant starches? A resistant starch, as defined by the American Association of Cereal Chemists, is "the starch fraction that escapes digestion in the small intestine of healthy humans." Essentially, what a resistant starch is "resisting" is the enzymatic breakdown and fractionation of strands of bonded glucose that typically occurs in the small intestine through the process of hydrolysis. Resistant starches occur naturally but they can also be produced through the application of coo...
Post a Comment
Read more

Can Even Moderate Drinking Actually Be Harmful to the Brain?

Just one drink with friends may not be as harmless/beneficial as once believed.  Photo Credit:  Punchdrink.com            Many people have grown up with the notion that drinking “a glass” of wine with dinner is a neutral if not a healthy habit. After all, red wine consumption in prior decades and even up until now was recommended or prescribed by doctors as a treatment for those with high blood pressure who may be at risk for a heart attack or stroke, in line with recent research that found that a moderate intake (1-2 5 oz. glasses per day) of red wine may be protective. Culturally, alcoholic beverages are commonly consumed in the diet of most nations, enjoyed at celebrations, sporting events, and even just around the dinner table. However, recent research by Topiwala et al. published in the British Medical Journal found results contrary to the popular belief that drinking moderate amounts of alcohol may be ...
Post a Comment
Read more

On The Trending Morning Beverage: Does Hot Water With Lemon Really Kick-start Your Metabolism?

             Hot water with lemon:  The "hot" morning drink trend.  Photo Credit:  Shape.com    Many social media trend-setters are claiming that drinking a cup of hot water with lemon each morning kick-starts their daily metabolism, "speeding" it up and helping them to burn energy and lose weight--but is there research to support the possibility that these claims could be true for their followers?  Studies published by Boschmann and colleages in one 2003 article investigated the effects of drinking water on bodily energy expenditure. The study supposed changes in blood pressure, as well as heat produced to warm cooled water to body temperature, following water ingestion lead to increases in metabolism in both men and women studied. The average energy used by participants after drinking ~2 cups of water was measured to be ~25 Calories. Though this small study had only 14 young adult pa...
Post a Comment
Read more