Short-term cognitive training can have lasting affects, a study published in today's Journal of the American Medical Association reports.
Almost 3000 seniors participated in the five-year, multi-site trial. Some received no cognitive training while three other groups underwent ten sessions of training in memory, speed processing or reasoning and received booster courses at four and 35 months later.
Five years later, the groups that had received training reported greater ease in conducting daily living tasks, with those that had received training in reasoning showing the most significant advantages.
Researchers hope these findings might lead towards the development of interventions designed to help older adults maintain cognitive ability and independence.
Read more: Training improves cognitive abilities of older adults
ABSTRACT: Long-term Effects of Cognitive Training on Everyday Functional Outcomes in Older Adults