Effectiveness of the “Mente Sana [Healthy Mind]” Cognitive Training Program for Older Illiterate Adults with Mild Cognitive Impairment

Abstract

Aging can lead to functional and cognitive alterations, sometimes limiting older adults in their social development, especially illiterate groups of older adults who receive poor attention from healthcare systems. In this context, the present investigation proposes the cognitive training program “MENTE SANA [HEALTHY MIND]” to improve the cognitive functions of illiterate older adults in Arequipa (Peru). It is a type of quasi-experimental research with a pre-test/post-test design with a homogenous control group. The sample was made up of adults 60 years old and above and of female gender. The Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) test was used to detect the level of cognitive decline in illiterate older adults. The 50-sessions program was applied to all the older adults with mild cognitive impairment that were selected for the study, on a daily basis. It was found that the tested group improved their cognitive functions compared to the control group. These results help to propose adapted cognitive training programs for illiterate people.

Effectiveness of Personalized Cognitive Stimulation in Older Adults with Mild Possible Cognitive Impairment: A 12-month Follow-up Cognitive Stimulation in Mild Cognitive Impairment

“…Although the mechanisms underlying the observed benefits in this study remain unclear, the improvements in the IG could be due to that cognitive stimulating activities contributed to increase the cognitive reserve, which has shown to be a protective factor (Mazzeo et al, 2019). The cognitive reserve theory postulates that individuals with a greater reserve will cope with brain damage more successfully than those with low levels of reserve (Stern, 2009) and therefore a hypothesis would be that the increase of the cognitive reserve may lead to the slowdown of the deterioration process (Palo Villegas et al, 2020).…”

“…Analyzing the cognitive aspects of the MEC-35, we observed statistically significant improvements in global orientation and spatial orientation. The changes in spatial orientation could avoid disconnection from the environment (Palo Villegas et al, 2020).…”

Short-term memory, attention, and temporal orientation as predictors of the cognitive impairment in older adults: A cross-sectional observational study

“…CR provides an explanation for the uneven predisposition to distinct age-related brain changes between older adults, while some subjects withstand these changes by maintaining their neuropsychological construct [ 82 ]. It has been postulated that individuals with greater reserve levels will cope with brain damage more successfully than those with low reserve levels [ 83 ] and therefore, a hypothesis would state that an increased cognitive reserve level may lead to a decline in the deterioration process [ 84 ]. In the meta-analysis by Colangeli et al 2016 [ 85 ], it was commented that neural networks in CN patients remain intact; however, in patients with AD and MCI, these networks are no longer functional.…”