Cognitive training maintained cognitive functioning in healthy older adults and individuals with mild cognitive impairment, especially during the six months post-intervention, with booster sessions further sustaining these benefits.
Systematic Review
Does cognitive training with or without booster sessions improve long-term cognitive functioning in healthy people, people with MCI, and people with dementia?
Cognitive training, particularly with booster sessions, provides long-term maintenance of cognitive functioning in healthy individuals and those with mild cognitive impairment.
Abstract OBJECTIVE : In this literature review, long term cognitive training’s effect is assessed. The issue is investigated by also considering additional training sessions (also called booster sessions) and their impact on the retention of after-training benefits. The aim is achieved by analyzing four variables: involved population, training domains, effect transferability, and training duration. METHODS : In compliance with the PRISMA statement, a search was conducted in the following database: Scopus, PubMed, WoS, and CINAHL. RESULTS : Out of the 1063 articles we identified initially, 47 studies were eligible.The studies showed that training can maintain cognitive functioning in healthy people or people with MCI, especially for what concerns the six months after the intervention. In people with dementia, the results were controversial. Regarding the booster training sessions, when they were offered to either healthy people or people with MCI, they both maintained or increased training benefits. In contrast, people with dementia appeared to benefit from booster sessions in one study only. It also emerged that single and multi-domain training improved cognitive functioning in either healthy people or people with MCI. In contrast, only multi-domain training was effective in people with dementia. Cognitive training showed both direct and far transfer effects. CONCLUSIONS : Although cognitive training benefits appear to persist, especially when working with healthy people or people with MCI, future studies should focus more on the benefits carried by booster sessions. Moreover, once the analysis of these outcomes is cross-referenced with individual characteristics and preferences, it will specify the long-term benefits factors.
Druda et al. (Thu,) conducted a systematic review in Healthy aging, Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI), and Dementia. Cognitive training (with or without booster sessions) vs. Control was evaluated on Maintenance of cognitive functioning improvements in follow-up analyses. Cognitive training maintained cognitive functioning in healthy older adults and individuals with mild cognitive impairment, especially during the six months post-intervention, with booster sessions further sustaining these benefits.