Efficacy of cognitive training on executive functions in healthy older adults: a systematic review with meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

Objective: Systematically review randomized controlled trials on the efficacy of cognitive training on executive functions in healthy older people. Measures: The outcome measures were related to inhibitory control, working memory, and cognitive flexibility. Results: Thirty-one trials were included i...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Publicado en:Psychology & Health Vol. 40; no. 5; pp. 714 - 742
Autores principales: Olegário, Raphael Lopes, Fernandes, Sarah Ribeiro, de Moraes, Rui
Formato: meta analysis research systematic review tables/charts Journal Article
Publicado: Taylor & Francis Ltd May2025
Acceso en línea:Ver este registro en EBSCOhost
Descripción
Sumario:Objective: Systematically review randomized controlled trials on the efficacy of cognitive training on executive functions in healthy older people. Measures: The outcome measures were related to inhibitory control, working memory, and cognitive flexibility. Results: Thirty-one trials were included in the systematic review and thirteen trials in the meta-analysis. In the overall analysis, the cognitive training enhanced inhibitory control when measured by the Stroop task (p <.001, d = 1.64) and working memory when measured by the Corsi Block task (p =.002, d =.16). A marginal significance was found for working memory in the Digit Span task – Forward (p =.06, d =.92). However, cognitive training did not enhance inhibitory control when measured by the Go/No-Go task (p =.76, d =.59), working memory when measured by the Digit Span – Backward (p =.72, d =.95) and N-Back (p =.10, d =.26) tasks, and cognitive flexibility when measured by Trail Making – Part B (p =.08, d =.27) and Semantic Fluency (p =.49, d =.06) tasks. Conclusion: Mixed evidence was found for inhibitory control and working memory; cognitive flexibility showed no evidence of improvement.