title: An evaluation of a working memory training scheme in older adults.
abstract: Working memory is a cognitive process that is particularly vulnerable to decline with age. The current study sought to evaluate the efficacy of a working memory training scheme in improving memory in a group of older adults. A 5-week online training scheme was designed to provide training in the main components of Baddeley's (2000) working memory model, namely auditory and visuospatial short-term and working memory. A group of older adults aged between 64 and 79 were randomly assigned to a trainee (n = 19) or control (n = 17) group, with trainees engaging in the adaptive training scheme and controls engaging in a non-adaptive version of the program. Before and after training and at 3- and 6-month follow-up sessions, trainees and controls were asked to complete measures of short-term and working memory, long-term episodic memory, subjective ratings of memory, and attention and achievement of goals set at the beginning of training. The results provided evidence of an expansion of auditory short-term memory span, which was maintained 6 months later, and transfer to long-term episodic memory but no evidence of improvement in working memory capacity per se. A serendipitous and intriguing finding of a relationship between time spent training, psychological stress, and training gains provided further insight into individual differences in training gains in older adults.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Neuroscience, School of Psychology, Trinity College Dublin , Dublin , Ireland.
authors.forename: Laura P
authors.initials: LP
authors.lastname: McAvinue
authors.forename: Mara
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Golemme
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Castorina
authors.forename: Elisa
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Tatti
authors.forename: Francesca M
authors.initials: FM
authors.lastname: Pigni
authors.forename: Simona
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Salomone
authors.forename: Sabina
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Brennan
authors.forename: Ian H
authors.initials: IH
authors.lastname: Robertson
keywords: aging; cognitive decline; cognitive training; stress; working memory