No Evidence for Improved Associative Memory Performance Following Process-Based Associative Memory Training in Older Adults

Abstract

Studies attempting to improve episodic memory performance with strategy instructions and training have had limited success in older adults: their training gains are limited in comparison to those of younger adults and do not generalize to untrained tasks and contexts. This limited success has been partly attributed to age-related impairments in associative binding of information into coherent episodes. We therefore investigated potential training and transfer effects of process-based associative memory training (i.e., repeated practice). Thirty-nine older adults (Mage = 68.8) underwent 6 weeks of either adaptive associative memory training or item recognition training. Both groups improved performance in item memory, spatial memory (object-context binding) and reasoning. A disproportionate effect of associative memory training was only observed for item memory, whereas no training-related performance changes were observed for associative memory. Self-reported strategies showed no signs of spontaneous development of memory-enhancing associative memory strategies. Hence, the results do not support the hypothesis that process-based associative memory training leads to higher associative memory performance in older adults.

Immediate and long-term efficacy of executive functions cognitive training in older adults: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

“…It has also been suggested that implementing such interventions during the prodromal stage of MCI or dementia might prevent or delay the progress of pathological cognitive decline (Vermeij, Claassen, Dautzenberg, & Kessels, 2016). However, findings from other studies suggest that, although CCT improves performance on trained tasks, these gains do not generalize or 'transfer' to untrained tasks (e.g., Bellander et al, 2016;Hering, Meuleman, Bürki, Borella & Kliegel, 2017;Lange & Süß, 2015;Souders et al, 2017).…”

The gains of a 4‐week cognitive training are not modulated by novelty

“…Several studies have demonstrated beneficial effects of cognitive training to untrained abilities (Heinzel et al, 2016;Jaeggi et al, 2008;Salminen, Kuhn, Frensch, & Schubert, 2016). However, more recent work casts doubts about the success with regard to transfer effects (Bellander et al, 2017;Owen et al, 2010;Rabipour & Raz, 2012;Redick et al, 2013;Simons et al, 2016). Here, we can show that benefits of a 4-week cognitive training (two-back task) are evident in the trained task (Figure 4), which agrees with most training studies, but they do not transfer to other near (i.e., working memory) or far (i.e., verbal memory) cognitive domains.…”

Effect of cognitive training on episodic memory retrieval in amnestic mild cognitive impairment patients: study protocol for a clinical randomized controlled trial

“…Such training protocols, however, have yielded controversial results, as both positive [14, 15] and negative findings [16] were reported. Moreover, a meta-analysis found that memory intervention alone had limited efficacy for improving objective memory and other cognitive functions compared to the positive control group [17].…”