Interaction in cyberspace and cognitive training stimulate the areas of attention and memory in elderly people

Abstract

The computer interaction may be an alternative to developing cognition in older people. The objective of the study was to evaluate the cognitive functions of elderly people who participated in interaction processes in a social network on the Internet. The research is a randomized, interventional and descriptive-analytical clinical type. The study sample consisted of 41 elderly women from Brazil. The elderly were assessed neuropsychologically before and after the intervention process. The Friedman test was used to analyze the data. The level of significance was p < 0.05. The results indicated a significant improvement in the cognitive functions of attention and memory in intervention groups and cognitive deficits in the control group in the areas of perception, language and praxis. Cognitive training on social networks on the Internet can improve some cognitive functions of older people, contributing to active and quality age.