Improved executive functioning in healthy older adults after multifactorial cognitive training targeting controlled processes

Chambon, Caroline; Béatrice Alescio‐Lautier · 2020 · OpenAlex-citations

DOI: 10.15761/jsin.1000218

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Summary

This study investigates whether a multifactorial cognitive training program, previously shown to improve memory in older adults, also enhances executive functions. The research addresses the gap in understanding how training targeting controlled processes like memory and attention transfers to executive domains such as switching, inhibition, and dual-task performance. The authors hypothesized that because executive functioning underpins memory and attention, improvements in these areas would yield broader cognitive benefits, specifically in resisting interference and managing mental flexibility. The experimental design involved 45 healthy older adults (mean age 74.5 years) randomly assigned to three groups: a Training group receiving 24 sessions of computerized memory and attention training; a Leisure group engaging in paper-and-pencil games; and a Control group receiving no intervention. The Training group’s protocol emphasized controlled processing, progressively implementing mnemonic and executive strategies, and introducing distractors to train resistance to interference. Participants were assessed at baseline, post-training, and at a 6-month follow-up using standardized neuropsychological tests, including the Trail Making Test, Baddeley’s dual-task, Tower of Hanoi, fluency tasks, and the Stroop interference test. Statistical analyses employed repeated measures ANOVA to compare group performances across time points. Results indicated that the multifactorial training significantly improved specific executive functions compared to both the Leisure and Control groups. The Training group demonstrated enhanced performance in switching tasks, evidenced by improved scores on the semantic fluency test and the Stroop test’s colored word identification. Crucially, the training improved resistance to interference, as shown by lower interference scores on the Stroop test. Additionally, the Training group showed superior efficiency in dual-task activities, maintaining higher digit span accuracy and better box-crossing performance under dual-task conditions than the other groups. These benefits were sustained at the 6-month follow-up without further training. However, the training did not significantly improve planning abilities measured by the Tower of Hanoi or initial letter fluency, likely due to ceiling effects in healthy older adults. The findings conclude that multifactorial cognitive training targeting controlled processes is an effective intervention for improving executive functioning in healthy older adults. Specifically, it enhances mental flexibility, inhibition of irrelevant stimuli, and dual-task efficiency. The study highlights that these gains persist long-term, suggesting that such training can mitigate age-related declines in executive control. Unlike leisure activities, which failed to produce similar improvements, the structured, strategy-based approach of the multifactorial program facilitates near transfer to untrained executive domains, offering a promising tool for cognitive rehabilitation in aging populations.

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• executive function