Cognitive training based on metamemory and mental images Follow-up evaluation and booster training effects

Abstract -In the second semester of 2008, 37 seniors participated in five cognitive training sessions based on creation of imagery and modification of self-efficacy for memory tasks. Objective: To carry out a followup evaluation after 18 months in order to detect possible maintenance of gains reported in the first post-test, namely, in measures of self-efficacy and episodic memory, and to evaluate the impact of a training booster, that is, test whether there are additional gains when training is offered for the second time to the same participants. Methods: 16 older adults agreed to participate in five training sessions for the second time. Participants were evaluated with the Mini Mental Status Examination -MMSE, the Geriatric Depression Scale -GDS, the Brief Cognitive Screening Battery -BCSB (naming and memorization of 10 pictures, animal category verbal fluency test, the Clock Drawing Test -CDT), the Story subtest from the Rivermead Behavioural Memory Test -RBMT, the Memory Complaint Questionnaire -MAC-Q, and the Picture and Story domains from the Memory Self-Efficacy Questionnaire -MSEQ used to evaluate the effectiveness of the first intervention. Results: This study reports the maintenance of the effects generated by the original training conducted in 2008, and follow-up evaluations detected the presence of potential additional gains in some aspects of memory. Conclusions: Training boosters may help maintain cognitive stability in adulthood and old age

Cognitive training based on metamemory and mental images: Follow-up evaluation and booster training effects

Abstract In the second semester of 2008, 37 seniors participated in five cognitive training sessions based on creation of imagery and modification of self-efficacy for memory tasks. Objective: To carry out a follow-up evaluation after 18 months in order to detect possible maintenance of gains reported in the first post-test, namely, in measures of self-efficacy and episodic memory, and to evaluate the impact of a training booster, that is, test whether there are additional gains when training is offered for the second time to the same participants. Methods: 16 older adults agreed to participate in five training sessions for the second time. Participants were evaluated with the Mini Mental Status Examination - MMSE, the Geriatric Depression Scale - GDS, the Brief Cognitive Screening Battery - BCSB (naming and memorization of 10 pictures, animal category verbal fluency test, the Clock Drawing Test - CDT), the Story subtest from the Rivermead Behavioural Memory Test - RBMT, the Memory Complaint Questionnaire - MAC-Q, and the Picture and Story domains from the Memory Self-Efficacy Questionnaire - MSEQ used to evaluate the effectiveness of the first intervention. Results: This study reports the maintenance of the effects generated by the original training conducted in 2008, and follow-up evaluations detected the presence of potential additional gains in some aspects of memory. Conclusions: Training boosters may help maintain cognitive stability in adulthood and old age

Treatment suggestions for Parkinson's disease: psychomotor interventions with video game

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate cognitive and motor skills of elderly with Parkinson disease who had been submitted to video game training, including six different activities. METHOD: Longitudinal study involving nine subjects with Parkinson disease of both genres. After having their detailed clinical anamneses taken, they were submitted to seven training sessions using the following games on the console Nintendo Wii - Wii Fit Plus: Soccer, Ski Slalom, Table Tilt Plus, Snowball Fight, Balance Bubble Plus and Big Top Juggling. To compare the performance of the participating individuals during the first and last sessions, the Wilcoxon test was chosen as the statistical analysis tool. RESULTS: Results showed improvement in the cognitive and motor skills. Most games showed statistically significant differences between the first and last sessions: Soccer (Z = -2.207; p = 0.027), Snowball Fight (Z = -2.692; p = 0.007), Table Tilt Plus (Z = -2.428; p = 0.015), Balance Bubble Plus (Z = -2.547; p = 0.011) e Big Top Juggling (Z = -2.549; p = 0.011). CONCLUSION: The training using video game proved to be relevant for improving cognitive and motor skills of the subjects. Once conventional games exercises can have limited results in improving those skills, it is desirable to test video games stimulating double task activities to better offer a new type of treatment.</p

Coping strategies: faith as emotional support of elderly caregivers with dementia

OBJECTIVES: To analyze the contribution of faith influence on the depressive symptoms in caregivers of patients with Alzheimer's disease. METHODS: Cross-sectional study with 24 subjects of both sexes, with schooling over five years, ages from 26 to 70 years and attending caring for the elderly courses in the city of Jundia&iacute;. A questionnaire was developed with information about affective, emotional and religious issues. Besides this instrument, caregiver burden was evaluated with the short Zarit Scale and Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS). Spearman correlation coefficient was used to correlate the GDS with age, marital status and Zarit Scale. RESULTS: The mean score on Zarit scale was 14.24 points, indicating light overburden. The average score of the GDS was 3.38 points which did not score for depressive syndrome. There was a negative, moderate, and no significant correlation coefficient between age and the GDS variable (r = -0.38; p = 0.065) and the Zarit Scale (r = -0.46; p = 0.062). The correlation coefficient (moderate and positive) showed a trend to significance between the Zarit Scale and GDS (r = 0.48; p = 0.051). A hundred percent of the participants confirmed they have faith, 69.56% reported to have experienced faith as a support to face Alzheimer's negative symptoms during patient's care. CONCLUSION: Caregivers and palliative patients use faith as an aid to face everyday weariness. It can be concluded that spirituality seems to improve the ability to deal with the incurable disease condition.</p

Effects of cognitive training based on metamemory and mental images

Abstract There is scant research evidence regarding training effects among elderly with limited educational experience. Research indicating an association between metamemory and memory performance is based on samples of older adults with at least 12 years of education. Objectives: To test the efficacy of a cognitive training program based on the creation of mental images and changes in specific aspects of metamemory in individuals with 3 to 15 years of education (M=8.38, SD=4.24). Methods: 37 older adults participated in five training sessions (Training Group (TG)) and 32 control subjects completed only pre and post test assessments (Control Group (CG)) including the Mini Mental Status Examination (MMSE), the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS), the Brief Cognitive Screening Battery (BCSB) (naming and memorization of 10 pictures, animal category verbal fluency test, the Clock Drawing Test (CDT)), the Story subtest from the Rivermead Behavioural Memory Test (RBMT), the Memory Complaint Questionnaire (MAC-Q), and the Picture and Story domains from the Memory Self-Efficacy Questionnaire (MSEQ). Results: The TG showed significant improvement between pre and post tests on the delayed recall of the 10 pictures and in self-efficacy for the memorization of stories. These same changes were not found in the CG . Conclusions: Five-session cognitive training may lead to significant improvements in episodic memory and memory self-efficacy, an aspect of metamemory, in individuals with an average of 8 years of education

Effects of cognitive training based on metamemory and mental images

Abstract There is scant research evidence regarding training effects among elderly with limited educational experience. Research indicating an association between metamemory and memory performance is based on samples of older adults with at least 12 years of education. Objectives: To test the efficacy of a cognitive training program based on the creation of mental images and changes in specific aspects of metamemory in individuals with 3 to 15 years of education (M=8.38, SD=4.24). Methods: 37 older adults participated in five training sessions (Training Group (TG)) and 32 control subjects completed only pre and post test assessments (Control Group (CG)) including the Mini Mental Status Examination (MMSE), the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS), the Brief Cognitive Screening Battery (BCSB) (naming and memorization of 10 pictures, animal category verbal fluency test, the Clock Drawing Test (CDT)), the Story subtest from the Rivermead Behavioural Memory Test (RBMT), the Memory Complaint Questionnaire (MAC-Q), and the Picture and Story domains from the Memory Self-Efficacy Questionnaire (MSEQ). Results: The TG showed significant improvement between pre and post tests on the delayed recall of the 10 pictures and in self-efficacy for the memorization of stories. These same changes were not found in the CG . Conclusions: Five-session cognitive training may lead to significant improvements in episodic memory and memory self-efficacy, an aspect of metamemory, in individuals with an average of 8 years of education

Training of executive functions in healthy elderly: Results of a pilot study

ABSTRACT Executive functions (EF) refer to the cognitive skills necessary to formulate a goal, plan, execute plans effectively, and to perform self-monitoring and self-correction. Several aspects of EF change during the normal aging process. Objectives: To train skills associated with executive functions in the elderly and to detect possible impact on objective EF tests and self-reports of functional status. Methods: A cross-sectional study involving an intervention and pre and post testing was carried out. Study participants included 26 seniors assigned to an experimental group (EG) and given six sessions of cognitive intervention, and 17 seniors assigned to a control group (CG) who completed pre and post testing only. All participants were enrolled in an Open University for the Third Age. The following tests were used to measure outcome: the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS), the Story subtest of the Rivermead Behavioral Memory Test (RBMT) (versions A and B), semantic verbal fluency fruit category, and verbal fluency with phonological constraints (FAS), WAIS-III Digit Span, Clock Drawing Test (CDT), Trail Making Part A and the Pfeffer Functional Assessment Questionnaire (PFAQ). Delta scores were calculated (post-test score minus pretest score) to assess the impact of the intervention. Results: In the post test, the CG showed significant improvement on the RBMT Story recall and Digit Span but a decline in verbal fluency. The EG remained stable in terms of pre and post test scores. Conclusions: The intervention did not enhance performance on the EF tests. It is noteworthy that the EG received only a small number of sessions which may not have been sufficient to generate improvement. Alternatively, the lack of group differences observed could be associated to participation in other workshops offered at the university

Treino cognitivo em adultos maduros e idosos: impacto de estratégias segundo faixas de escolaridade Entrenamiento cognitivo en adultos maduros y ancianos: impacto de estrategias según niveles de escolaridad Cognitive training in older adults and the elderly: impact of educational strategies according to age

Objetivou-se com este estudo testar a eficácia de treino cognitivo de seis sessões, baseado na apresentação e prática de estratégias de memória (categorização) e na realização de atividades que recrutam as funções executivas, oferecido a idosos. Objetivou-se, também, identificar e comparar as estratégias mnemônicas utilizadas pelos participantes antes e após treino, segundo faixas de escolaridade. Participaram do estudo 31 idosos, divididos em Grupo 1 (com até 8 anos de escolaridade) e Grupo 2 (com 9 anos ou mais). Foram aplicadas questões sociodemográficas, escalas cognitivas e uma lista de estratégias possíveis para identificação das estratégias usadas. Os resultados indicaram a influência da escolaridade no uso de estratégias de memória no pré-teste. No pós-teste, apontaram para aumento na velocidade de processamento e na utilização de estratégias. Concluiu-se que o uso de estratégias, a autoeficácia para a memória e o ganho após o treino cognitivo podem ser influenciados pela escolaridade.<br>El objetivo de este estudio fue testar la eficacia de entrenamiento cognitivo de seis sesiones basado en la presentación y práctica de estrategias de memoria (categorización) y en la realización de actividades que reclutan las funciones ejecutivas, ofrecido a ancianos. Se objetivó también identificar y comparar las estrategias mnemónicas utilizadas por los participantes antes y después del entrenamiento, según niveles de escolaridad. Participaron del estudio 31 ancianos, divididos en Grupo 1 (con hasta 8 años de escolaridad) y Grupo 2 (con 9 años o más). Fueron realizadas cuestiones sociodemográficas y utilizadas escalas cognitivas y una lista de estrategias posibles para identificación de las estrategias usadas. Los resultados indicaron la influencia de la escolaridad en el uso de estrategias de memoria en el pre test. En el post teste, señalaron aumento en la velocidad de procesamiento y en la utilización de estrategias. Se concluyó que el uso de estrategias, la autoeficacia para la memoria y el gaño después del entrenamiento cognitivo pueden ser influenciados por la escolaridad.<br>The objective of this study was to test the effectiveness of a cognitive training program of six sessions based on the presentation and practice of memory strategies (categorization) and activities that recruit executive functions offered for older adults. We also aimed at identifying and comparing the mnemonic strategies used by participants stratified by levels of schooling before and after training. The study included 31 older adults divided into group 1 (up to 8 years of schooling) and group 2 (9 or more years of schooling). The instruments used were: sociodemographic questionnaire, cognitive scales and a list of possible strategies to identify the strategies used. The results were indicated the influence of education on the use of memory strategies in the pre-test and post-test. At the post-test, there was a significant increase in processing speed and strategies use. It is concluded that he use of strategies, memory self-efficacy and the gain after cognitive training may be influenced by education