OBJECTIVE: Cognitive impairment is a key factor that threatens functionality and quality of life in seniors. Given the projection that the population of individuals 65 years of age and older will double within the next 25 years, a critical need exists to identify and test effectiveness of protocols that target higher-order cognitive skills such as gist reasoning to maximize cognitive capacity in later life. METHODS: This study examined the effects of eight hours of gist reasoning training in 26 cognitively normal seniors between the ages of 64-85 years (M = 74.23, SD = 6.67). RESULTS: Findings suggest that top-down strategy-based gist reasoning training significantly improved abstraction ability, a skill relevant to everyday life, as well as generalized to untrained measures of executive function including concept abstraction, cognitive switching, and verbal fluency. Individuals with lower baseline ability to abstract gist showed the greatest gain in the target domain trained. CONCLUSIONS: These findings highlight the potential value of engaging in cognitively challenging activities that involve gist reasoning, to strengthen and preserve cognitive capacity with aging.
OBJECTIVE:Cognitive impairment is a key factor that threatens functionality and quality of life in seniors. Given the projection that the population of individuals 65 years of age and older will double within the next 25 years, a critical need exists to identify and test effectiveness of protocols that target higher-order cognitive skills such as gist reasoning to maximize cognitive capacity in later life. METHODS: This study examined the effects of eight hours of gist reasoning training in 26 cognitively normal seniors between the ages of 64-85 years (M = 74.23, SD = 6.67). RESULTS: Findings suggest that top-down strategy-based gist reasoning training significantly improved abstraction ability, a skill relevant to everyday life, as well as generalized to untrained measures of executive function including concept abstraction, cognitive switching, and verbal fluency. Individuals with lower baseline ability to abstract gist showed the greatest gain in the target domain trained. CONCLUSIONS: These findings highlight the potential value of engaging in cognitively challenging activities that involve gist reasoning, to strengthen and preserve cognitive capacity with aging.
Authors: Tejal M Shah; Michael Weinborn; Giuseppe Verdile; Hamid R Sohrabi; Ralph N Martins Journal: Neuropsychol Rev Date: 2017-01-14 Impact factor: 7.444
Authors: Thomas M Van Vleet; Joseph M DeGutis; Michael M Merzenich; Gregory V Simpson; Ativ Zomet; Sawsan Dabit Journal: Cortex Date: 2016-06-02 Impact factor: 4.027
Authors: Sandra Bond Chapman; Carl W Cotman; Howard M Fillit; Michela Gallagher; Christopher H van Dyck Journal: J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci Date: 2012-05-08 Impact factor: 6.053
Authors: Leanne R Young; Jennifer E Zientz; Jeffrey S Spence; Daniel C Krawczyk; Sandra B Chapman Journal: Mil Med Date: 2021-01-25 Impact factor: 1.437
Authors: Michael A Motes; Uma S Yezhuvath; Sina Aslan; Jeffrey S Spence; Bart Rypma; Sandra B Chapman Journal: Neurobiol Aging Date: 2017-10-12 Impact factor: 5.133
Authors: Daniel C Krawczyk; Carlos Marquez de la Plata; Guido F Schauer; Asha K Vas; Molly Keebler; Stephanie Tuthill; Claire Gardner; Tiffani Jantz; Weikei Yu; Sandra B Chapman Journal: Trials Date: 2013-01-30 Impact factor: 2.279