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Article

Effects of Cognitive Training on Cognitive Performance of Healthy Older Adults

  • Mariana Teles Santos Golino (a1), Carmen Flores Mendoza (a2) and Hudson Fernandes Golino (a3)
Abstract

The purpose of this study was to determine the immediate effects of cognitive training on healthy older adults and verify the transfer effects of targeted and non-targeted abilities. The design consisted of a semi-randomized clinical controlled trial. The final sample was composed of 80 volunteers recruited from a Brazilian community (mean age = 69.69; SD = 7.44), which were separated into an intervention group (N = 47; mean age = 69.66, SD = 7.51) and a control group (N = 33; mean age = 69.73, SD = 7.45). Intervention was characterized by adaptive cognitive training with 12 individual training sessions of 60 to 90 minutes (once a week). Eight instruments were used to assess effects of cognitive training. Five were used to assess trained abilities (near effects), including: Memorization Tests (List and History), Picture Completion, Digit Span, Digit Symbol-Coding, and Symbol Search (the last four from WAIS-III). Two instruments assessed untrained abilities (far effects): Arithmetic and Matrix Reasoning (WAIS-III). The non-parametric repeated measures ANOVA test revealed a significant interaction between group by time interaction for Picture Completion [F(74) = 14.88, p = .0002, d = 0.90, CLES = 73.69%], Digit Symbol-Coding [F(74) = 5.66, p = .019, d = 0.55, CLES = 65.21%] and Digit Span [F(74) = 5.38, p = .02, d = 0.54, CLES = 64.85%], suggesting an interventional impact on these performance tasks. The results supported near transfer effects, but did not demonstrate a far transfer effects.

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COPYRIGHT: © Universidad Complutense de Madrid and Colegio Oficial de Psicólogos de Madrid 2017 
Corresponding author
*Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to Mariana Teles Santos Golino. Universidade Federal da Bahia. Psychology. Rua Rio de Contas, Quadra 17–58, Candeias, Vitória da Conquista, Bahia (Brazil). 45029–094. Phone: +55–77981199702. E-mail: marianatsantos84@gmail.com
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How to cite this article:

Santos Golino, M. T., Flores Mendoza, C., & Fernandes Golino, H. (2017). Effects of cognitive training on cognitive performance of healthy older adults. The Spanish Journal of Psychology, 20. eXX. Doi: 10.1017/sjp.2017.38

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