We performed a multilevel meta-analytic review, complemented with both sensitivity analysis and robust variance estimation (RVE) method, to systematically assess the effects of working memory training on healthy older adults.  We found small significant gains on verbal and visuospatial working memory, however the effects were maintained at follow-up only for verbal working memory.  Far-transfer effects were not verified, except for the studies whose Cattell Test was used to assess reasoning.  The effects of working memory training were moderated by the adopted measures, type of training, training length and duration, and baseline performance.  Moderator analysis did not show the influence of type of control group (active versus passive), except for one comparison: visuospatial WM at posttest.

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Objectives The population of Latin America and Caribbean (LAC) is ageing rapidly, presenting the highest prevalence rates of dementia in the world. Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is an intermediate condition between normal ageing, Alzheimer’s disease, and related dementias. We conducted a systematic review to evaluate the prevalence of MCI in LAC countries and explore factors associated with MCI (i.e. age, sex/gender, and education). Method A database search was conducted in September 2020 using PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, Lilacs, SciELO, EMBASE, and medRxiv for population- or community-based studies, published in English, Spanish, or Portuguese. Results From 2,155 screened studies, we selected reports including subjects with a precise diagnosis of MCI. A total of 11 studies met the inclusion criteria, adding up to 20,220 participants in nine countries: Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, Colombia, Peru, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Venezuela, and Costa Rica. Estimates for all-type MCI prevalence ranged from 6.8% to 25.5% and amnestic MCI between 3.1% and 10.5%. Estimates differed by age and education, with oldest and lower-educated adults presenting higher MCI prevalence. Conclusion This first systematic review of the prevalence of MCI discusses the population strata with the highest potential to benefit from dementia risk reduction interventions in LAC countries.

The world population is rapidly aging, bringing together the necessity to better understand the advancing age. This characterization may be used to aid early diagnosis and to guide individually-tailored interventions. While some event-related potential (ERP) components, such as the P300 and late positive complex (LPC), have been associated with fluid intelligence (Gf) in young population; little is known whether these associations hold for older people. Therefore, the main goal of this study was to assess whether these ERP components are associated with Gf in the elderly. Fifty-seven older adults performed a continuous performance task (CPT) and a visual oddball paradigm while EEG was recorded. Participants were divided into two groups, according to their performance in the Raven’s Advanced Progressive Matrices test: high-performance (HP) and low-performance (LP). Results showed that the HP group, compared to the LP group, had higher LPC amplitudes in the CPT and shorter P300 latencies in the oddball task, highlighting the role of ERP components as a potential electrophysiological proxy of Gf abilities in the elderly.

BackgroundTranscranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) has been employed to boost working memory training (WMT) effects. Nevertheless, there is limited evidence on the efficacy of this combination in older adults. The present study is aimed to assess the delayed transfer effects of tDCS coupled with WMT in older adults in a 15-day follow-up. We explored if general cognitive ability, age, and educational level predicted the effects.MethodsIn this single-center, double-blind randomized sham-controlled experiment, 54 older adults were randomized into three groups: anodal-tDCS (atDCS)+WMT, sham-tDCS (stDCS)+WMT, and double-sham. Five sessions of tDCS (2 mA) were applied over the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC). Far transfer was measured by Raven’s Advanced Progressive Matrices (RAPM), while the near transfer effects were assessed through Digit Span. A frequentist linear mixed model (LMM) was complemented by a Bayesian approach in data analysis.ResultsWorking memory training improved dual n-back performance in both groups submitted to this intervention but only the group that received atDCS+WMT displayed a significant improvement from pretest to follow-up in transfer measures of reasoning (RAPM) and short-term memory (forward Digit Span). Near transfer improvements predicted gains in far transfer, demonstrating that the far transfer is due to an improvement in the trained construct of working memory. Age, formal education, and vocabulary score seem to predict the gains in reasoning. However, Bayesian results do not provide substantial evidence to support this claim.ConclusionThis study will help to consolidate the incipient but auspicious field of cognitive training coupled with tDCS in healthy older adults. Our findings demonstrated that atDCS may potentialize WMT by promoting transfer effects in short-term memory and reasoning in older adults, which are observed especially at follow-up.

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This paper explored changes in the HPV-related quality of life (QoL) of 209 women diagnosed with human papillomavirus (HPV) during 1 year of medical monitoring, at three time points (6-month interval between them). Participants completed the HPV Impact Profile (HIP) questionnaire to assess HPV-related QoL. The relationship between HIP scores and time was moderated by the HPV risk type and infection duration: an HPV diagnosis had a stronger negative effect on patients with an HPV high-risk type and on those living with HPV for a long period of time. Age, condom use, motherhood, and type of family were significant predictors.

Background Over the last decades, life expectancy in Latin America and the Caribbean showed a rapid increase, which led to a significant increase in the number of people with dementia. Moreover, 9% of the population in this part of the world are aged 65 or older, and by 2050 this percentage is projected to at least double. For this reason, it is essential to estimate the prevalence of dementia in LAC countries with the aim to determine suitable actions to enhance the quality of life of those affected. Methods Database searches for articles were conducted September 2020 throughout Pubmed, Web of knowledge, Scopus, Lilacs, and SciELO. The inclusion criteria comprised population- or community-based studies, published in English, Spanish, or Portuguese, reporting data on the prevalence of dementia collected in LAC countries. The complete data search retrieved 1719 non-duplicates. Results A total of 58 studies met the high-quality inclusion criteria, published 1991-2020, including participants in the following countries: Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, Colombia, Peru, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Venezuela, Ecuador, Trinidad and Tobago, and Jamaica. The most common form of dementia studied was Alzheimer’s disease with prevalence ranging from 5.9% to 23.4%. Estimates differed by age, gender, and education, with oldest, women, and lower-educated adults living in rural areas presenting higher dementia prevalence. Conclusion This is the first study giving a comprehensive overview of dementia prevalence in LAC countries, which is relevant to estimate care needs and economic costs related to dementia treatment and care.