Characterization of Latin American scientific production on interventions in preventing cognitive decline in older adults

Abstract

The aim of this research is to analyze the Latin American scientific production on interventions in preventing cognitive decline in older adults. The world population has changed significantly with respect to its age structure, leading to an exponential increase in programs and treatments to prevent deterioration of cognitive functions in the elderly. However, the scientific literature suggests that interventions coexist with dissimilar characteristics and effects in normal aging. A bibliometric study of empirical articles published in spanish-language scientific journals between 2000 and 2014 was performed. The databases consulted were Redalyc, Ebsco, Scielo and Dialnet. The main descriptors used were: "cognition", "daily life activities" and "elderly". The search identified 50 articles. The corpus was analyzed and classified in stages. The treatments used most frequently were: Cognitive Stimulation programs, Memory training programs and Cognitive-Motor Stimulation Programs. Finally, Cognitive-Motor Stimulation Programs, Multimedia Programs and University Programs for Seniors were the most effective in all cases reporting statistical significance in the results. The research on aging covers a wide sector of the publication currently performed in Psychology to be a growing area.