Small Acute Benefits of 4 Weeks Processing Speed Training Games on Processing Speed and Inhibition Performance and Depressive Mood in the Healthy Elderly People: Evidence from a Randomized Control Trial

Abstract

Background: Processing speed training using a 1-year intervention period improves cognitive functions and emotional states of elderly people. Nevertheless, it remains unclear whether short-term processing speed training such as 4 weeks can benefit elderly people. This study was designed to investigate effects of 4 weeks of processing speed training on cognitive functions and emotional states of elderly people.Methods: We used a single-blinded randomized control trial (RCT). Seventy-two older adults were assigned randomly to two groups: a processing speed training game (PSTG) group and knowledge quiz training game (KQTG) group, an active control group. In PSTG, participants were asked to play PSTG (12 processing speed games) for 15 min, during five sessions per week, for 4 weeks. In the KQTG group, participants were asked to play KQTG (four knowledge quizzes) for 15 min, during five sessions per week, for 4 weeks. We measured several cognitive functions and emotional states before and after the 4 week intervention period.Results: Our results revealed that PSTG improved performances in processing speed and inhibition compared to KQTG, but did not improve performance in reasoning, shifting, short term/working memory, and episodic memory. Moreover, PSTG reduced the depressive mood score as measured by the Profile of Mood State compared to KQTG during the 4 week intervention period, but did not change other emotional measures.Discussion: This RCT first provided scientific evidence related to small acute benefits of 4 week PSTG on processing speed, inhibition, and depressive mood in healthy elderly people. We discuss possible mechanisms for improvements in processing speed and inhibition and reduction of the depressive mood.Trial registration: This trial was registered in The University Hospital Medical Information Network Clinical Trials Registry (UMIN000022250).

The use of commercial computerised cognitive games in older adults: a meta-analysis

“…1. We observed two major weaknesses in the included studies: the assessors are rarely blinded (most of the studies are single-blinded RCT) and the results of only 3 out of the 16 studies [19][20][21] were analyzed in intention-to-treat. In the majority of included studies, the authors recorded drop-out at follow-up and participants did not finish the training session.…”

“…For the domain of working memory, 9 studies, with 917 participants, were included [20][21][22][23][24][25][26]29,30 . The forest plot revealed two outlier studies 26,31 that reported extremely large SMD (5.21 [3.62-6.80] and 2.93 [2.54-3.32]).…”

The Beneficial Effects of Cognitive Training With Simple Calculation and Reading Aloud (SCRA) in the Elderly Postoperative Population: A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial

“…In fact, it has been reported that cognitive activity can modulate subsequent psychological and physiological emotional processes (Iida et al, 2011 , 2012 ). There have also been several studies in which cognitive training for working memory and processing speed reduce negative emotion and depressive symptoms (Takeuchi et al, 2014 ; Nouchi et al, 2016a ). It is important to note that speed of processing involves the parietal and temporal cortices (Turken et al, 2008 ).…”

“…These cognitive training programs can improve cognitive performance in memory (Mahncke et al, 2006 ; Smith et al, 2009 ), processing speed (Ball et al, 2002 , 2007 ; Edwards et al, 2005 ), executive function (Bissig and Lustig, 2007 ; Uchida and Kawashima, 2008 ), and attention (Mozolic et al, 2011 ) in the healthy elderly population and the elderly dementia population. Cognitive training also improves mental health in older adults (Iida et al, 2011 , 2012 ; Takeuchi et al, 2014 ; Nouchi et al, 2016a ). There are several reasons why we selected SCRA as the intervention.…”

“…Improvement in executive function was especially expected because SCRA improved executive functions in both the healthy and the clinical elderly populations. In addition, previous cognitive training for young and old healthy adults reported improvement of quality of life and reduction of negative mood (Kwok et al, 2013 ; Takeuchi et al, 2014 ; Nouchi et al, 2016a ), it was expected that SCRA intervention would improve mental health and reduce depressive moods.…”