Efficacy of Cognitive Training in Older Adults with and without Subjective Cognitive Decline Is Associated with Inhibition Efficiency and Working Memory Span, Not with Cognitive Reserve

• Main Authors: Ramón López-Higes, María T. Martín-Aragoneses, Susana Rubio-Valdehita, María L. Delgado-Losada, Pedro Montejo, Mercedes Montenegro, José M. Prados, Jaisalmer de Frutos-Lucas, David López-Sanz
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Frontiers Media S.A. 2018-02-01
• Series: Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience
• Subjects: cognitive reserve; executive functions; working memory; cognitive training; efficacy; cognitive status
• Online Access: http://journal.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fnagi.2018.00023/full

The present study explores the role of cognitive reserve, executive functions, and working memory (WM) span, as factors that might explain training outcomes in cognitive status. Eighty-one older adults voluntarily participated in the study, classified either as older adults with subjective cognitive decline or cognitively intact. Each participant underwent a neuropsychological assessment that was conducted both at baseline (entailing cognitive reserve, executive functions, WM span and depressive symptomatology measures, as well as the Mini-Mental State Exam regarding initial cognitive status), and then 6 months later, once each participant had completed the training program (Mini-Mental State Exam at the endpoint). With respect to cognitive status the training program was most beneficial for subjective cognitive decline participants with low efficiency in inhibition at baseline (explaining a 33% of Mini-Mental State Exam total variance), whereas for cognitively intact participants training gains were observed for those who presented lower WM span.