Working Memory Training in Older Adults Evidence of Transfer and Maintenance Effects

Few studies have examined working memory (WM) training related gains and their transfer and maintenance effects in older adults This present research investigates the efficacy of a verbal WM training program in adults aged 65-75 years considering specific training gains on a verbal WM (criterion) task as well as transfer effects on measures of visuospatial WM short term memory inhibition processing speed and fluid intelligence Maintenance of training benefits was evaluated at 8 month follow up Trained older adults showed higher performance than did controls on the criterion task and maintained this benefit after 8 months Substantial general transfer effects were found for the trained group but not for the control one Transfer maintenance gains were found at follow up but only for fluid intelligence and processing speed tasks The results are discussed in terms of cognitive plasticity in older adults