The influence of acquired intelligence on cerebral impairment in the elderly

During a psychopharmacological trial, the inpatients of three geriatric nursing homes underwent a psychometric examination in which the Multiple Choice Intelligence Test (MWT-B) was used to determine the level of premorbid intelligence. The results seem to indicate that older people with mild to moderate organic brain syndrome and healthy elderly individuals show little difference with regard to their cognitive plasticity. Shaping conditions of the social sphere, as well as a performance-stimulating environment which continuously encourages independent behavior, appear to be of decisive importance for the protection of specific cognitive abilities and mobilization of reserve capacities. (c) 2001 Prous Science. All rights reserved.