Abstract
It is currently not known what are the best working memory training strategies to offset the age-related declines in fluid cognitive abilities. In this randomized clinical double-blind trial, older adults were randomly assigned to one of two types of working memory training – one group was trained on a predictable memory updating task (PT) and another group was trained on a novel, unpredictable memory updating task (UT). Unpredictable memory updating, compared to predictable, requires greater demands on cognitive control (Basak and Verhaeghen, 2011a). Therefore, the current study allowed us to evaluate the role of cognitive control in working memory training. All participants were assessed on a set of near and far transfer tasks at three different testing sessions – before training, immediately after the training, and 1.5 months after completing the training. Additionally, individual learning rates for a comparison working memory task (performed by both groups) and the trained task were computed. Training on unpredictable memory updating, compared to predictable, significantly enhanced performance on a measure of episodic memory, immediately after the training. Moreover, individuals with faster learning rates showed greater gains in this episodic memory task and another new working memory task; this effect was specific to UT. We propose that the unpredictable memory updating training, compared to predictable memory updating training, may a better strategy to improve selective cognitive abilities in older adults, and future studies could further investigate the role of cognitive control in working memory training.
Highlights
In order to maintain quality of life until late adulthood and decrease the health burden of a rapidly aging society, it is important that we develop an understanding of the principles of cognitive optimization, because gains in longevity have not been matched by maintenance of cognitive function into very old age
A lack of transfer in older adults, compared to younger adults, from working memory training has been attributed to age-related differences in patterns of brain activation for the trained and transfer tasks
On the other hand a recent meta-analyses (Karbach and Verhaeghen, 2014), which evaluated the effects of task switch training versus working memory training on both younger and older adults, found that both types of training, working memory, engendered transfer in both age groups
Summary
In order to maintain quality of life until late adulthood and decrease the health burden of a rapidly aging society, it is important that we develop an understanding of the principles of cognitive optimization, because gains in longevity have not been matched by maintenance of cognitive function into very old age. Both cognitive control and working memory have been argued to be the underlying “core” components of fluid cognition (StineMorrow and Basak, 2011). The ability to concurrently store and actively transform information (e.g., Mayr et al, 1996), is related to many complex cognitive skills, e.g., reasoning (Kyllonen and Christal, 1990). It underlies many age-related deficits in fluid cognition, including episodic memory (Verhaeghen and Salthouse, 1997; Verhaeghen et al, 2005; Lewis and Zelinski, 2010). Training cognitively healthy older adults in these “core” cognitive components may not merely improve their fluid cognitive abilities, but can potentially delay the onset of memory-related disorders, such as Alzheimer’s disease
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