Group cognitive training in old age: paper-and-pencil tasks of processing speed

ABSTRACT

Psychometric models attribute cognitive aging to decline in executive fuctions processing speed(PS) or PS plus coordination of operations, both related to theprefrontal lobes. In a first study, healthy aged subjets (mean age 68.42 years, range 59-81; mean formalschooling 6.47 years, range 2-15) were divided into two groups. Group 1 (n=9) trained six VP paper-and-pencil tasks (letter and symbol recognizing speed) for five 1-hour daily sessions. Group 2 (n=8) received the same amount of training in a face-name association task. Measures of working memory employed in the pre-and post-tests were digit span, word span sentence comprehension. Group 1 improved significantly both in VP for letters and in the sentence comprehension measure. Group 2 improvement only in the paired associates learning task. Training old individuals on processing speed tasks may thus improve their working memory performance. In second training study, it was possible to assess coordination-related measures of working memory in the pre-and post-tests. Group 3 trained VP and was composed of 15 subjects with mean a age of 68.33 years (SD=6.36) and a mean formal schooling of 7.00 years (SD=3.22). Group 4, wich trained paired associates, consisted of 17 individuals with a mean age of 66.42 years (SD=8.38), who had a mean schooling of 7.77 years (SD=3.68). Contrary to our expectations, only training Group 4 exhibited generalization effects related to coordinatio of operations in working memory. These results confirm only partially unifactorial models of working memory