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Updated: Jun 6, 2026
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Working Memory Training for Older Participants: A Control Group Training Regimen and Initial Intellectual Functioning Assessment
Published on: September 20, 2020
Word list memory predicts everyday function and problem-solving in the elderly: results from the ACTIVE cognitive
Alden L Gross1, George W Rebok, Frederick W Unverzagt
1Department of Mental Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA. aldgross@jhsph.edu
Summary
Word list learning, measured by the Hopkins Verbal Learning Test (HVLT) and Auditory Verbal Learning Test (AVLT), predicts future everyday functioning in older adults. These memory tests offer clinical utility for assessing future functional ability.
Area of Science:
- Gerontology
- Cognitive Psychology
- Neuroscience
Background:
- Cognitive decline in older adults impacts daily life.
- Predicting future functional ability is crucial for interventions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine if word list learning predicts future everyday functioning in older adults.
- To assess the clinical utility of verbal memory tests in predicting functional decline.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of data from the Advanced Cognitive Training for Independent and Vital Elderly (ACTIVE) trial (N = 2,802).
- Stepwise random effects modeling using modified Hopkins Verbal Learning Test (HVLT) and Auditory Verbal Learning Test (AVLT) measures.
- Examination of associations between memory scores and everyday functioning, problem-solving, and psychomotor speed over 5 years.
Main Results:
- Both HVLT and AVLT scores independently predicted everyday IADL functioning, problem-solving, and psychomotor speed.
- Memory score associations remained significant across 5-year follow-up intervals.
- HVLT total recall score was the strongest predictor across all functional outcomes.
Conclusions:
- Verbal memory measures are uniquely associated with current and future functioning in older adults.
- Specific verbal memory tests (HVLT, AVLT) possess clinical utility for predicting future functional ability.
- Early identification of memory decline can inform interventions to maintain independence.
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