Prospective Memory Training in Older Adults: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Abstract

Prospective memory (PM), which enables one to remember to carry out delayed intentions, is crucial for everyday functioning. PM commonly deteriorates upon cognitive decline in older adults, but several studies have shown that PM in older adults can be improved by training. The current study aimed to summarise this evidence by conducting a qualitative systematic analysis and quantitative meta-analysis of the effects of PM training in older adults, for which systematic searches were conducted across seven databases (Cochrane Library, Embase, PubMed, PsycInfo, Web of Science, CINAHL and Scopus). Forty-eight studies were included in the qualitative analysis, and 43% of the assessed PM training interventions showed positive gains in enhancing PM. However, the methodological quality varied across the studies, with 41% of the non-randomised control trials (non-RCTs) rated as having either serious or critical risk of bias. Therefore, only 29 RCTs were included in the subsequent quantitative meta-analysis. We found a significant and moderate immediate efficacy (Hedges’ g = 0.54) of PM training in enhancing PM performance in older adults, but no significant long-term efficacy (Hedges’ g = 0.21). Two subgroup analyses also revealed a robust training efficacy across the study population (i.e., healthy and clinical population) and the number of training sessions (i.e., single session and programme-based). Overall, this study provided positive evidence to support PM training in older adults. Further studies are warranted to explore the mechanisms by which PM training exerts its effects, and better-quality RCTs are needed to provide more robust evidence supporting our findings.

Examining the influence of self-care practices on brain activity in healthy older adults

“…Greater coherence between areas could be interpreted in the context of hyperconnectivity ( Hillary and Grafman, 2017 ), suggesting that improved connectivity between brain regions may represent a mechanism of plasticity ( Bonanni et al, 2021 ). Since prospective memory serves as a predictive indicator of cognitive behavior in healthy older adults ( Tse et al, 2023 ), the correlation between scores of this type of memory and coherence between regions of different bands was calculated. The results showed an inverse relationship between prospective memory scores and increased coherence between anterior and anteroposterior areas of theta and alpha bands during the EC condition and in the beta band during EO .…”

The Development of a Pilot App Targeting Short-Term and Prospective Memory in People Diagnosed with Dementia

“…In a systematic qualitative analysis, coupled with a quantitative meta-analysis on the impact of prospective memory (PM) training in older adults, it was indicated that there was a notable but modest immediate effectiveness of PM training in enhancing PM performance. However, no significant long-term effectiveness was discerned [ 100 ]. Similarly, reviews proposed that not only the specific training strategies employed for the assessment of prospective memory need to be further examined, but also certain parameters need to be considered, such as the participants’ digital literacy as well as their motor and sensory restrictions [ 101 , 102 ].…”