Cognitive rehabilitation in the elderly: Overview and future directions

Abstract

This study provides an overview of the papers emanating from the experimental trial that evaluated a new cognitive rehabilitation program in older adults who were experiencing normal cognitive decline. The main features of the design are summarized, along with evidence that the training produced long-lasting improvement in memory performance, goal management, and psychosocial status. The benefits were attributed to several factors, including the program's emphasis on techniques that promoted efficient strategic processing. Limitations of the program and directions for future research are discussed.

Avaliação e Reabilitação Neuropsicológica: Desenvolvimento Histórico e Perspectivas Atuais

“…Uma importante derivação dessa perspectiva de pesquisa teórica que considera a relação entre a plasticidade neurológica/funcional e o contexto biopsicossocial em que as pessoas estão inseridas constitui-se em outra linha de pesquisa importante: a reabilitação neuropsicológica (Winocur e cols., 2007).…”

Effects of a comprehensive educational group intervention in older women with cognitive complaints: A randomized controlled trial

“…These studies vary greatly in content, design and outcome (see for example (Hohaus, 2007;Lachman, Weaver, Bandura, Elliott, & Lewkowicz, 1992;Mohs, et al, 1998;Stuss, et al, 2007;Troyer, 2001;Valentijn, et al, 2005;West, Bagwell, & Dark-Freudeman, 2008;Winocur, et al, 2007).…”

Cognitive training in the rural elderly: A randomized trial to evaluate the efficacy and accessibility of a new approach.

“…The rationale of this approach is that broader (multifactorial) treatment can demonstrate performance gains that are stronger, more durable, and generalizable to other tasks and situations than isolated (unifactorial) training (Herrmann, Weingartner, Searleman, & McEvoy, 1989;Stigsdotter, 1989). The superiority of multifactorial training over unifactorial approaches is intuitive but remains empirically inconclusive (Winocur et al, 2007).…”

“…One prevalent view in the field of cognitive psychology is that aging is related to global brain deterioration that affects all cognitive areas at the same rate (Stuss et al, 2007). According to this view, the effect of aging is linear progressive deterioration across domains, after age 25 (Park & Hedden, 2002;Verhaeghen & Salthouse, 1997).…”

“…The protocol emphasizes the appropriateness of a multifactorial approach that, in addition to emphasizing cognitive processes, takes into account the importance of optimal emotional function for the realization of full cognitive potential (Prigatano, 1999;Stuss et al, 2007).…”