Aging
Conditions
Brief summary
The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of a structured program, which was based on abacus training associated with other activities, administered as weekly group classes over a 7 month period in older adults.
Detailed description
Cognitive stimulating activities are often recommended for older adults; however, little is known regarding the effects of these activities on cognition, motivation and quality of life in this population. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of a structured program, which was based on abacus training associated with other activities, administered as weekly group classes over a 7 month period in older adults. Eighty-eight older adults were enrolled in an open-label controlled clinical trial to evaluate the effects of this training program on cognition, motivation and quality of life. Training had a significant effect over time; the training group maintained their level of performance on verbal learning and memory tasks, whereas the control group exhibited a significant decrease in performance from baseline to post-intervention. The subjects in the training group were more motivated to learn at study entry; however, the training had no significant effect on motivation or quality of life. Abacus training associated with other activities may benefit verbal learning and memory in older adults. Additional studies with longer follow-ups are necessary to determine whether the results of this training will have a positive effect on the lives of older adults.
Interventions
BEHAVIORALTraining
Training program based on abacus and other activities
OTHERDifferent group activities
ballroom dancing (5 participants), belly dancing (4 participants), chorus (16 participants), Spanish classes (8 participants) and chorus and Spanish classes (6 participants).
Sponsors
Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro
Study design
Allocation
NON_RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
DIAGNOSTIC
Masking
NONE
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
60 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
Yes
Inclusion criteria
* Age ≥ 60 years * Score ≥ 26 on the Mini-Mental State Examination * Portuguese as a native language.
Exclusion criteria
* A neurological or serious medical condition that would prevent participation in the study.
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Executive function score change | After 7 month | Executive function score change will be measured using the average of the Z-scores of the Cogstate Groton Maze Learning Test and Set Shifting Task |
| Verbal learning and memory score change | After 7 month | Verbal learning and memory score change will be measured using the average of the Z-scores of the Cogstate International Shopping List and International Shopping List - Delayed Recall tasks |
| Visual learning and memory score change | After 7 month | Visual learning and memory score change will be measured using the average of the Z-scores of the Cogstate Continuous Paired Associate Learning, One Card Learning and Groton Maze Learning Test - Delayed Recall tasks |
| Reasoning score change | After 7 month | Reasoning score change will be measured using the Z-score of Matrix Reasoning subtest of the BETA III |
| Attention score change | After 7 month | Attention score change will be measured using the average of the Z-scores of the Codes subtest of the BETA III and the Cogstate Identification Task |
| Speed of processing score change | After 7 month | Speed of processing score change will be measured using the Z-score of the Cogstate Detection Task |
| Working memory score change | After 7 month | Working memory score change will be measured using the average of the Z-scores of the Cogstate One Back and Two Back tasks |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Quality of life | After 7 months | Evaluated using the control, autonomy, self-realization, and pleasure scale (CASP-19) |
| Motivation | After 7 months | Evaluated using the self-concept scales of cognitive competence and self-learning |
Outcome results
None listed