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Cognitive aging

Is combined mental training better for older adults' memory?

Li B, Zhu X, Hou J, et al. · Frontiers in psychology · 2016

Open access · cc by · source: Europe PMC

While combining executive function and memory training improves a broader range of mental skills, training memory strategies alone leads to greater memory improvements.

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How this study connects

Role on claims

Each row is a claim on a concept or method page where this paper supports, challenges, or qualifies the statement. Roles are hand-checked — not a model guess.

  • SupportsExecutive Functionconcept

    Structured cognitive training, including social card games and preschool-based play programs, can successfully train and improve executive functioning and working memory.

    Evidence for the claim as stated.

  • SupportsUpdatingconcept

    Targeted multi-domain cognitive training that incorporates executive function exercises can significantly improve updating performance in older adults, whereas practicing memory strategies alone does not yield the same executive benefits.

    Evidence for the claim as stated.

Study at a glance

Design
Other — Two training arms randomized (16 sessions/~6 weeks); untrained control data collected a year later, not concurrently randomized
N
N=40 · Healthy older adults randomized to combined vs memory-strategy training; additional non-concurrent control (switching data missing for 8)
Population
Healthy older adults in Beijing
Outcome
Memory-composite gain after strategy training vs control, and executive updating gain after combined training

Structured fields used in claim comparison tables when every cited study has a complete layer.

Inspect source passages

Is combined mental training better for older adults' memory?

These passages occur verbatim in the stored paper text. They support the points listed below; they do not verify every statement in the explanation.

16 sessions of training completed by the training groups

Combined cognitive training group received 16 sessions of training (eight sessions of executive function training followed by eight sessions of memory strategy training).

6 weeks duration of the training programs

After baseline test, participants in the memory group and combined group received 16 sessions of training during about 6 weeks.
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Key findings

The memory-only group showed significant improvements on memory tests compared to the control group, whereas the combined group showed only marginal memory improvements. However, only the combined group showed significant gains in executive function tasks like updating. At a follow-up assessment 4 months later, both training groups maintained their cognitive improvements.

Methodology

The researchers assigned participants to either a combined cognitive training group, a pure memory strategy training group, or a control group. Both training groups completed 16 sessions of training over about 6 weeks, with each session lasting around 60 minutes. The pure memory group practiced only techniques like the method of loci, while the combined group split their time, receiving 8 sessions of executive function training and 8 sessions of memory training.

Limitations

The study did not match baseline performance across groups, partly because the control group's data was collected a year after the other groups. Additionally, the small sample size of the study limits its statistical power, making it harder to generalise these findings. Finally, because the control group was not tested at the 4-month follow-up, the researchers could not fully rule out practice effects.

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