Benefits of training visuospatial working memory in young-old and old-old.
The purpose of the present study was to test the efficacy of a visuospatial working memory (WM) training in terms of its transfer effects and maintenance effects, in the young-old and old-old. Forty young-old and 40 old-old adults took part in the study. Twenty participants in each age group received training with a visuospatial WM task, whereas the others served as active controls and completed alternative activities. Training benefits were examined, considering (a) the specific training-related gains in a visuospatial WM task (criterion); and (b) the transfer effects on measures of verbal WM, visuospatial short-term memory, inhibition, processing speed, and reasoning. Maintenance of training benefits was also assessed after 8 months. Results showed that the trained groups (both young-old and old-old), but not the control groups, performed better in the WM measures and preserved these gains after 8 months. Some transfer effects were found, but only in the young-old-trained participants, and they were not maintained at the follow-up. These results are discussed in terms of the efficacy of WM training for older adults when a visuospatial modality is used.
Department of General Psychology, University of Padova.
Erika
E
Borella
Department of General Psychology, University of Padova.
Barbara
B
Carretti
Department of General Psychology, University of Padova.
Alessandra
A
Cantarella
Department of General Psychology, University of Padova.
Francesco
F
Riboldi
Department of General Psychology, University of Padova.
Michela
M
Zavagnin
Department of General Psychology, University of Padova.
Rossana
R
De Beni
D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging / Q000523:psychology*; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008570:Memory, Short-Term / Q000502:physiology*; D010775:Photic Stimulation; D012691:Serial Learning; D013663:Teaching; D014163:Transfer, Psychology / Q000502:physiology*; D014796:Visual Perception / Q000502:physiology*