Older Adults With Mild Memory Impairment Still Benefit From Cognitive Training in Areas Not Reliant on Memorization

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Older adults with pre-existing mild memory impairment benefit as much
as those with normal memory function from certain forms of cognitive
training that don't rely on memorization, according to a study
published this week in the "Journal of the International
Neuropsychological Society". These findings could indicate the ability
for older adults to maintain skills that allow them to carry out daily
tasks and lead a higher quality of life.
In the study supported by the National Institutes of Health (NIH),
older adults who were otherwise healthy and living independently
received training focused on targeted cognitive skills. A small number
of participants in the study were found to have a decline in their
ability to form new memories of experiences or facts, an ability
called declarative memory. These individuals were unable to improve
their memorization skills, but were able to improve their reasoning
skills and become faster at processing visual information.
This study was conducted as part of the multi-site Advanced Cognitive
Training for Independent and Vital Elderly (ACTIVE) clinical trial,
which was co-funded by the National Institute of Nursing Research
(NINR) and the National Institute on Aging (NIA) -- both components of
the NIH. The ACTIVE research authors of this paper were headed by Dr.
Frederick Unverzagt of Indiana University-Purdue University at
Indianapolis (IUPUI).
"Our previously published studies have found that the ACTIVE protocols
improve the function of older adults in certain target skills of
cognitive training," said Dr. Unverzagt. "These skills -- memory,
reasoning, and speed-of-processing -- were emphasized because they are
thought to be important in allowing elders to maintain independent
living. The current study builds on the previous findings by focusing
on those adults who already have experienced some loss of memory."
"Research such as this is critical to discovering ways to help older
individuals stay independent and take charge of their own lives and
health for many years to come," said NINR Director Dr. Patricia A.
Grady, Ph.D., RN. "Persons with mild memory impairment may have
difficulty improving in this one area, but may still benefit from
different types of learning and mental activities to improve their
quality of life and functioning -- a major goal of the NINR mission."
"The notion that interventions can be designed and demonstrated to
maintain cognitive skills with age is of enormous interest in the
research community right now," said NIA Director Richard J. Hodes,
M.D. "This study tests that hypothesis and shows the potential promise
of continued research in this area."
The ACTIVE study followed more than 2,800 healthy, community-dwelling
older adults from six cities -- Baltimore; Birmingham, Ala.; Boston;
Detroit; State College, Pa.; and Indianapolis. The participants
averaged 74 years of age and 14 years of education, 76 percent were
female, 74 percent were white, and 26 percent were African-American.
At the outset of the study, those potential participants with
cognitive impairment were excluded. But over time, roughly 200 were
found to have declined in their cognitive function, and they were the
primary subjects of the current report.
The participants were divided into treatment groups to receive
cognitive training in one of the three target skills. The memory
training focused on methods to learn and remember new information such
as word lists and short narratives; the reasoning training emphasized
pattern detection and inductive skills to solve problems; and the
speed-of-processing training addressed the speed of responses to
visual and manual prompts on a computer screen. Only the memory
training component relied on the participant's declarative memory
ability. Training was conducted in 10 sessions of 60-75 minutes over a
period of 5-6 weeks.
Compared to a control group that received no training, participants
who received the memory training and had normal memory ability at the
start of the study showed significant improvement in memorization
skills. However, among the participants with declines in memory
function, those in the memory training group showed no benefit, while
those who received the reasoning or the speed-of-processing training
showed improvement in these areas comparable to normal-memory
participants.
In the article, Dr. Unverzagt stated that a further step for this
research would be to "examine the effect of other cognitive subgroups
(low reasoning, low speed-of-processing) on trainability."
The primary mission of the NINR, one of 27 Institutes and Centers at
the National Institutes of Health, is to support clinical and basic
research and establish a scientific basis for the care of individuals
across the life span. For additional information, visit the NINR web
site at www.ninr.nih.gov.
The National Institute on Aging (NIA) leads the federal government
effort conducting and supporting research on the biomedical and social
and behavioral aspects of aging and the problems of older people. For
more information on aging-related research and the NIA, please visit
the NIA web site at www.nia.nih.gov.
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) -- The Nation's Medical
Research Agency -- is comprised of 27 Institutes and Centers and is a
component of the U. S. Department of Health and Human Services. It is
the primary Federal agency for conducting and supporting basic,
clinical, and translational medical research, and investigates the
causes, treatments, and cures for both common and rare diseases. For
more information about NIH and its programs, visit www.nih.gov.
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Reference:
Unverzagt FW, Kasten L, Johnson KE, Rebok GW, Marsiske M, Mann Koepke
K, Elias JW, Morris KN, Willis SL, Ball K, Rexroth DF, Smith DM,
Wolinsky FD, Tennstedt SL. Effect of memory impairment on training
outcomes in ACTIVE. Journal of the International Neuropsychological
Society 2007;13:953-960.