Home-Based, Self-Administered Dyadic Cognitive Training for Healthy Older Adults: Feasibility Study

Background: In older adults declines in gait speed have been identified as predictors of functional decline and have been found in those with cognitive dysfunction. Cognitive training interventions that emphasize addressing executive function (EF) have resulted in a transfer effect from training cognitive processes into improved function. However research examining the effects of an EF specific computerized cognitive training (CCT) program on gait speed (GS) is limited. Objectives: To compare the effects of a six week EF specific CCT program on GS in community dwelling older adults using a pretest/posttest experimental design with subgroup comparisons based on a cutoff GS of 1.0m/s. Setting: Home based Participants: Forty independent living older adults (>65 years) without diagnosed cognitive impairment participated in either the intervention or control groups. Intervention: A six week long progressively challenging EF focused CCT program was performed at home. Measurements: Demographic variables, cognitive function (Trail-Making Test Part B) and GS were measured at baseline at week 7. Between group comparisons were completed for the whole sample initially with subgroup comparisons performed based on participants’ initial GS (Slow walkers: GS<1.0m/s; Fast Walkers: GS>1.0m/s). Results: No differences in GS were found for the whole population, but subgroup analyses restricted to slow walkers demonstrated a statistically significant improvement in GS after 6 weeks of CCT (µ =0.33 m/s, p = 0.03). Other outcomes measures were not statistically different at posttest. Conclusions: Older adults who walk at speeds <1.0m/s may benefit from a progressively challenging CCT program when self-administered in the home.

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Enhancing Innovation and Underlying Neural Mechanisms Via Cognitive Training in Healthy Older Adults

Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience ◽

10.3389/fnagi.2017.00314 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 9 ◽

Cited By ~ 11

Author(s):

Sandra B. Chapman ◽

Jeffrey S. Spence ◽

Sina Aslan ◽

Molly W. Keebler

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Cognitive Training ◽

Neural Mechanisms ◽

Healthy Older Adults

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EFFECT ASSESSMENT OF A COGNITIVE TRAINING PLATFORM IN HEALTHY OLDER ADULTS

CBU International Conference Proceedings ◽

10.12955/cbup.v5.1066 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 5 ◽

pp. 1032-1035

Author(s):

Antonia Yaneva ◽

Nonka Mateva

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Cognitive Training ◽

Cognitive Functions ◽

Cognitive Status ◽

Post Intervention ◽

Healthy Older Adults ◽

Computerized Cognitive Training ◽

Negative Results ◽

Healthy Elderly ◽

Traditional Programs

Cognitive interventions, especially cognitive training, may improve cognitive functions in healthy older adults. Computerized cognitive training platforms offer several advantages over traditional programs for cognitive training and stimulation. The focus of this article is the methodology of the studies that apply a particular online training program. We investigate the effectiveness of several studies for cognitive training in healthy elderly people and evaluate reported outcomes and potential bias and what factors determine, influence or contribute to the positive or negative results. The post-intervention scores demonstrate that computerized cognitive training may enhance some cognitive functions and the overall cognitive status but there is need for additional research to prove its effectiveness.

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Longitudinal impact and effects of booster sessions in a cognitive training program for healthy elderly

10.31234/osf.io/uqgdw ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Lucas Matias Felix ◽

Marcela Mansur Alves ◽

Mariana Teles ◽

Laura Jamison ◽

Hudson Golino

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Cognitive Training ◽

Passive Control ◽

Control Group ◽

Longitudinal Impact ◽

Healthy Older Adults ◽

Booster Sessions ◽

Experimental Group

This paper reports the results from a three-years follow-up study to access the long-term efficacy of a cognitive training for healthy older adults and investigates the effects of booster sessions on the cognitive performance of the participants using an innovative analytical approach from information theory. Design: semi-randomized quasi-experimental controlled design. Participants: 50 healthy older adults, (M = 73.3, SD = 7.77) were assigned into an experimental (N = 25; Mean age = 73.9; SD = 8.62) and a passive control group (N = 25; mean age = 72.9; SD = 6.97). Instruments: six subtests of WAIS and two episodic memory tasks. Procedures: the participants were assessed in four occasions: after the end of the original intervention, pre-booster sessions (three years after the original intervention), immediately after the booster sessions and three months after the booster sessions. Results: the repeated measures ANOVA showed that two gains reported in the original intervention were identified in the follow-up: Coding (F(1, 44) = 11.79, MSE = 0.77, p = .001, ηˆG2 = .084) and Picture Completion (F(1, 47) = 10.01, MSE = 0.73, p = .003, ηˆG2 = .060). After the booster sessions, all variables presented a significant interaction between group and time favorable to the experimental group (moderate to high effect sizes). To compare the level of cohesion of the cognitive variables between the groups, an entropy-based metric was used. The experimental group presented a lower level of cohesion in three of the four measurement occasions, suggesting a differential impact of the intervention with immediate and short-term effects, but without long-term effects.

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Effects of Cognitive Training on Cognitive Performance of Healthy Older Adults

The Spanish Journal of Psychology ◽

10.1017/sjp.2017.38 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 20 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Mariana Teles Santos Golino ◽

Carmen Flores Mendoza ◽

Hudson Fernandes Golino

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Cognitive Training ◽

Repeated Measures ◽

Digit Span ◽

Intervention Group ◽

Control Group ◽

Digit Symbol ◽

Transfer Effects ◽

Healthy Older Adults ◽

Picture Completion

AbstractThe purpose of this study was to determine the immediate effects of cognitive training on healthy older adults and verify the transfer effects of targeted and non-targeted abilities. The design consisted of a semi-randomized clinical controlled trial. The final sample was composed of 80 volunteers recruited from a Brazilian community (mean age = 69.69; SD = 7.44), which were separated into an intervention group (N = 47; mean age = 69.66, SD = 7.51) and a control group (N = 33; mean age = 69.73, SD = 7.45). Intervention was characterized by adaptive cognitive training with 12 individual training sessions of 60 to 90 minutes (once a week). Eight instruments were used to assess effects of cognitive training. Five were used to assess trained abilities (near effects), including: Memorization Tests (List and History), Picture Completion, Digit Span, Digit Symbol-Coding, and Symbol Search (the last four from WAIS-III). Two instruments assessed untrained abilities (far effects): Arithmetic and Matrix Reasoning (WAIS-III). The non-parametric repeated measures ANOVA test revealed a significant interaction between group by time interaction for Picture Completion [F(74) = 14.88, p = .0002, d = 0.90, CLES = 73.69%], Digit Symbol-Coding [F(74) = 5.66, p = .019, d = 0.55, CLES = 65.21%] and Digit Span [F(74) = 5.38, p = .02, d = 0.54, CLES = 64.85%], suggesting an interventional impact on these performance tasks. The results supported near transfer effects, but did not demonstrate a far transfer effects.

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EXPLORING FACTORS THAT CONTRIBUTE TO JOINING AND REGULARLY PRACTICING IN COGNITIVE TRAINING AMONG HEALTHY OLDER ADULTS: A ONE-YEAR FOLLOW-UP QUALITATIVE STUDY

Journal of Prevention of Alzheimer's Disease ◽

10.14283/jpad.2020.14 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 1-7

Author(s):

P. Srisuwan ◽

D. Nakawiro ◽

S. Chansirikarnjana ◽

O. Kuha ◽

S. Kengpanich ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Qualitative Study ◽

Cognitive Training ◽

Individual Characteristics ◽

Community Dwelling ◽

Notification System ◽

Healthy Older Adults ◽

Effective Program ◽

One Year ◽

At Home

BACKGROUND: Cognitive interventions have the potential to enhance cognition among healthy older adults. However, little is known of the factors associated with the joining and participating of older people in group-based multicomponent cognitive training (CT). OBJECTIVES: To explore factors that contribute to joining and regularly practicing CT over 1 year among healthy older adults. DESIGN: A qualitative study. SETTING: Geriatric clinic in Bangkok, Thailand. PARTICIPANTS: 40 nondemented community-dwelling older adults INTERVENTION: The CT of executive functions, attention, memory and visuospatial functions (TEAM-V) program was conducted over 5 sessions, with a 2-week interval between each session. MEASUREMENTS: An inductive qualitative approach, based on semi-structure interviews with 40 healthy older adults, was employed. The interviews explored factors of joining CT at baseline, factors of regularly participating in class at 6 months and at home at 1 year. Data were coded and analyzed using and the thematic analysis approach. RESULTS: After analyzing factors concerning joining CT, 3 core themes emerged: (1) individual characteristics with 3 subthemes of “health status”, “time arrangement”, and “financial status”; (2) individual perceptions with 2 subthemes of “perceived susceptibility to dementia” and “perceived severity of dementia” and (3) encouragement from families and friends. After analyzing factors of practicing CT in class, 3 core themes emerged: (1) program with 3 subthemes of “session”, “group facilitators” and “notification before class”; (2) accessibility with 2 subthemes of “distance” and “transportation” and (3) encouragement from families and friends. After analyzing factors of practicing CT at home, 2 core themes emerged: (1) contents of the training program and (2) encouragement from families and friends. CONCLUSIONS: Increased awareness of holistic factors including older adults’ characteristic and perceptions, support from families and friends and accessibility should be emphasized in planning CT. Designing the content of CT that could be applied or adapted in daily living and effective program components such as a notification system could increase practicing.

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Effects of Morning Versus Evening Home-Based Exercise on Subjective and Objective Sleep Parameters in Older Adults: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry and Neurology ◽

10.1177/0891988720924709 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 089198872092470

Author(s):

Jaehoon Seol ◽

Yuya Fujii ◽

Taiki Inoue ◽

Naruki Kitano ◽

Kenji Tsunoda ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Randomized Controlled Trial ◽

Controlled Trial ◽

Exercise Group ◽

Healthy Older Adults ◽

Low Intensity ◽

Randomized Controlled ◽

Home Based ◽

Sleep Parameters ◽

Objectively Measured

Objective: This study aimed to determine whether the timing of exercise influenced the effects of home-based low-intensity stepping exercises on the sleep parameters of older adults. Method: For 8 weeks, 60 healthy older adults participated in a randomized controlled trial, performing low-intensity aerobic exercise (70-80 bpm) for about 30 minutes every day at home, either in the morning (from waking until 12:00) or evening (18:00 to bedtime). Results: In the evening exercise group, both subjectively and objectively measured sleep latency significantly improved throughout the intervention. Further, postintervention subjective sleep satisfaction was significantly higher in the evening group (6.2 ± 1.3 points) than in the morning group (5.2 ± 1.4 points; P = .006). Additionally, sleep variables related to evening exercise had larger effect sizes (Cohen d) than those performed in the morning. Conclusion: Engaging in low-intensity stepping exercises during the evening is potentially a useful nonpharmacological approach to improving sleep quality among older adults.

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