Verbal working memory training in older adults: an investigation of dose response

Abstract

The WM training protocol proposed by Borella et al. found specific and transfer effects among seniors, however, the studies were carried out in the same socio-cultural context and variations in the procedure were never tested. The present study aimed at analyzing the efficacy of Borella et al.'s training, in terms of short and long-term benefits, in a different socio-cultural context (Study 1), and the effect of change in the training's length (duplicating the number of sessions (Study 2). Participants were randomly assigned to a trained group (N = 18 for Study 1, and N = 23 for Study 2) and active control group (N = 28 for Study 1, and N = 27 for Study 2), and evaluated at pre, post-test and six-month follow-up for verbal WM task (criterion task), and for visuospatial and verbal WM, inhibition, processing speed, executive function, and fluid intelligence measures (transfer tasks). The trained groups had higher performance in all tasks when compared with active control groups after training and at 6 month follow-up. The longer training (Study 2) generated similar gains as the original protocol, with some advantage in far transfer tasks at post-test and follow-up. Study limitations include the small sample sizes. In conclusion, this training was effective in a different socio-cultural context and adding three sessions to the protocol did not significantly change training impact.

Keywords: Working memory; cognitive training; older adults; training length; transfer effects.