Related Experiment Video
Updated: Nov 17, 2025

Working Memory Training for Older Participants: A Control Group Training Regimen and Initial Intellectual Functioning Assessment
Published on: September 20, 2020
Working memory training in normal and pathological ageing: neurocognitive gains and their impact on daily-living
Marine Saba1, Sophie Blanchet2
1Université de Paris, MC2Lab, Boulogne-Billancourt, France, Service de gériatrie aiguë, Hôpital Tenon, AP-HP, Sorbonne Université, Paris, France.
Abstract:
Working memory is one of the cognitive functions that is the most sensitive to the effects of normal and pathological ageing. In older individuals with mild cognitive impairments, working memory deficits are frequent and can precede episodic memory impairments, in addition to having a strong prognostic value of evolution toward an Alzheimer-type dementia. Due to its involvement in numerous cognitive and cognitive-motor tasks, working memory is called upon in a wide range of daily activities. An impaired working memory therefore increases the risk of loss of autonomy. In this review, we present different working memory training programmes. We show how these training programmes are associated with specific effects, and near and far transfer effects on other cognitive functions in older adults without cognitive impairment or with mild cognitive impairment, as well as in patients with dementia. We show that the benefits are confirmed by neuronal modifications, suggesting an improvement in the neuronal efficiency of the processes that are trained or related to them. Finally, we consider the central question of the impact of the cognitive gains made by working memory training on activities of daily living.
Related Concept Videos
Working Memory
Cognitive Development During Adulthood
Information Processing Approach
Higher Mental Functions of Brain: Learning and Memory
Role of Cerebellum and Prefrontal Cortex in Memory
Cognitive Enhancers: Cholinesterase Inhibitors and NMDA Receptor Antagonists

