![]() ![]() (1992) reported that mnemonic strategies that capitalized on imagery were most effective for increasing memory performance. ![]() Verhaeghen and colleagues (1992) reported an average standardized pre-post training gain of 0.73 SD in memory performance from training, indicating memory training can improve memory in cognitively normal older adults. The potential for improvement in memory is mirrored by findings from systematic reviews and meta-analyses of memory training. Specifically, the Advanced Cognitive Training for Independent and Vital Elderly (ACTIVE) study, the largest randomized trial of cognitive training among older adults to date, reported a retest-adjusted effect size of 0.26 standard deviations (SD) comparing memory gains immediately after memory training with change in the no-contact control group, and an effect size of 0.23 SD five years after training ( Willis et al., 2006). Additionally, training programs often entail instruction in how to take advantage of environmental supports, called external memory aids.Įvidence from several studies suggests training may help maintain, or potentially enhance, memory performance in later adulthood. Combinations of these strategies are often taught in memory training programs and include face-name recognition and name-face learning, number mnemonics, story mnemonics, and the method of loci. Common mnemonic strategies include rehearsal ( Gordon & Berger, 2003 Heun, Burkart, & Benkert, 1997 Howe et al., 1985 Kennedy & Miller, 1976), association ( Bjorklund & Douglas, 1997 West, 1985), categorization ( Bjorklund, Schneider, Cassel, & Ashley, 1994 Gobet, Lane, Croker, Cheng, Jones, et al., 2001 Ornstein & Naus, 1978 Schneider & Sodian, 1988), imagery ( Bower, 1970 Poon et al., 1980 Rankin, Karol, & Tuten, 1984 Rasmusson et al., 1999 Richardson, 1998 Sharps & Price-Sharps, 1996), and concentration ( Stigsdotter & Bäckman, 1989). Memory training interventions among older adults with no cognitive impairment seek to improve memory skills by teaching mnemonic techniques. In addition to improving objective memory performance, research shows interventions can improve self-rated subjective memory ( Floyd & Scogin, 1997). ![]() Memory training interventions facilitate plasticity by teaching various strategies that help encode and retrieve information ( Gross & Rebok, 2011 McDaniel, Einstein, & Jacoby, 2008 Rebok et al., 2007 Verhaeghen, Marcoen, & Goossens, 1992). ![]() Through cognitive plasticity and reserve ( Stern, 2002), mentally stimulating activities like memory training help maintain and improve cognitive and functional abilities in daily life ( Hertzog et al., 2008). Memory training programs exist within the larger context of cognitive training, which is based on the notion that cognition is plastic in older age ( Acevedo & Lowenstein, 2007 Rebok, Carlson, & Langbaum, 2007). Training programs designed to enhance memory among older adults have proliferated in recent years. These findings can inform the design of future memory training programs for older adults. Treatment gains among memory-trained individuals were not better after training in any particular strategy, or by the average age of participants, session length, or type of control condition. Among 10 distinct memory strategies identified in studies, meta-analytic methods revealed that training multiple strategies was associated with larger training gains (p=0.04), although this association did not reach statistical significance after adjusting for multiple comparisons. The pre-post training effect for memory-trained interventions was 0.43 SD (95% CI: 0.29, 0.57) and the practice effect for control groups was 0.06 SD (95% CI: -0.05, 0.16). The overall effect size estimate, representing the mean standardized difference in pre-post change between memory-trained and control groups, was 0.31 standard deviations (SD 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.22, 0.39). The review identified 402 publications, of which 35 studies met criteria for inclusion. A systematic review and meta-analysis of memory training research was conducted to characterize the effect of memory strategies on memory performance among cognitively intact, community-dwelling older adults, and to identify characteristics of individuals and of programs associated with improved memory. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |