Study: Processing Speed Training Improves Cognitive Function in Older Adults

A recent study conducted to determine if shorter durations of processing speed training could have similar benefits as 1 year of training on cognitive function and emotional states in older individuals found that a shorter intervention period conferred acute beneficial effects on processing speed, inhibition, and depressive mood.

Previous research has suggested that cognitive training can improve cognitive function in older individuals, but these benefits are currently controversial.
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To address these unresolved issues, researchers conducted a study including 72 participants, 44 of whom were women and 28 of whom men, with an average age of 68.92 years. Researchers developed a processing speed training game (PSTG) for tablet devices, and randomly assigned participants to play the PSTG or a knowledge quiz training game (KQTG), which operated as an active control, for 4 weeks. Participants in the PSTG group played 12 processing speed games for 15 minutes 5 times a week. In the KQTG group, participants played 4 knowledge quizzes for 15 minutes 5 times a week.

Several cognitive functions, such as reasoning ability, processing speed, executive function, short term/working memory, and episodic memory, were assessed after 4 weeks. In addition, researchers determined the emotional states of participants using the Profile of Mood State second edition and World Health Organization Subjective Well-being Inventory.

Overall, the results showed that participants in the PSTG group had improved processing speed and performances and reduced depressive mood scores compared to the KQTG group at 4-weeks. However, reasoning, shifting, short term and working memory, and episodic memory did not improve, and neither did other emotional measures.

The study suggested that interventions using processing speed can be made more cost effective and user-friendly for participants.

“Shortening the intervention periods can be expected to reduce the intervention costs (time and money)” the researchers stated, “Cognitive training using a tablet PC can be an effective and easy means of doing cognitive training anytime for elderly people. Therefore, we believe that our study can provide new, useful, and effective tools for cognitive training.”

—Melissa Weiss

Reference:

Nouchi R, Saito T, Nouchi H, and Kawashima R. Small acute benefits of 4 weeks processing speed training games on processing speed and inhibition performance and depressive mood in the healthy elderly people: evidence from a randomized control trial [published online December 23, 2016]. Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience. doi:10.3389/fnagi.2016.00302.