Prospects for Computerized Memory Training in Normal Elderly: Effects of Practice on Explicit and Implicit Memory Tasks
✍ Scribed by George W. Rebok; D. Xeno Rasmusson; Jason Brandt
- Publisher
- John Wiley and Sons
- Year
- 1996
- Tongue
- English
- Weight
- 825 KB
- Volume
- 10
- Category
- Article
- ISSN
- 0888-4080
No coin nor oath required. For personal study only.
✦ Synopsis
We gave 12 cognitively normal, elderly adults (mean age = 76.33 years) training and practice on the Colorado Neuropsychology Tests, a computerized battery of explicit and implicit memory tasks. Half the subjects practised on the explicit memory tasks for 1.5 hours a week for 9 weeks with the assistance of a psychologist, while the other half practised on the implicit tasks for the equivalent amount of time. Subjects in both training conditions showed significant improvement within and across training sessions, with those in the implicit memory condition showing the most overall improvement, as indicated by standardized change scores. However, the improved performance on the training tasks did not result in more positive selfassessments of memory capability. In general, subjects displayed favourable attitudes toward the computer technology and were capable of learning to operate the computer software. The results support the practical application of computerized memory training with normal elderly adults.