Working memory training in older adults: evidence of transfer and maintenance effects.
Few studies have examined working memory (WM) training-related gains and their transfer and maintenance effects in older adults. This present research investigates the efficacy of a verbal WM training program in adults aged 65-75 years, considering specific training gains on a verbal WM (criterion) task as well as transfer effects on measures of visuospatial WM, short-term memory, inhibition, processing speed, and fluid intelligence. Maintenance of training benefits was evaluated at 8-month follow-up. Trained older adults showed higher performance than did controls on the criterion task and maintained this benefit after 8 months. Substantial general transfer effects were found for the trained group, but not for the control one. Transfer maintenance gains were found at follow-up, but only for fluid intelligence and processing speed tasks. The results are discussed in terms of cognitive plasticity in older adults.
Borella
Erika
E
Department of General Psychology, Via Venezia 8, Padua, Italy. erika.borella@unipd.it
Carretti
Barbara
B
Riboldi
Francesco
F
De Beni
Rossana
R
D000368:Aged; D000375:Aging / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008568:Memory; D008570:Memory, Short-Term; D011939:Mental Recall; D057190:Stroop Test; D013663:Teaching; D014163:Transfer, Psychology