Can Training Improve Memory, Thinking Abilities in Older Adults With Cognitive Impairment?

A study published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society sought to learn whether cognitive training without medication could improve mild cognitive impairment (MCI) in older adults, reports EurekAlert . The team enlisted 145 older adults about 72 years old and diagnosed with MCI from Canadian memory clinics who were assigned to one of three groups. Each group met for eight weekly sessions for two hours, and one group received special training to improve their memory and attention span. A second cohort were encouraged to improve their general well-being by learning to focus on the positive aspects of their lives and find ways to boost positive situations. The third group had no contact with researchers and did not follow a program. Participants in the first group elevated their memory scores by 35 percent to 40 percent and maintained their scores over a six-month period. The researchers note the improvement was most significant for older adults with "delayed recall," or when memory words are measured only 10 minutes after people have studied them. People in this group also said they applied their training in their daily lives so they had different ways to recall things. Participants in the other groups did not experience memory benefits or improvement in their moods.