Memory training interventions for older adults: A meta-analysis

Abstract

A systematic review and meta-analysis of memory training research was conducted to characterize the effect of memory strategies on memory performance among cognitively intact, community-dwelling older adults, and to identify characteristics of individuals and of programs associated with improved memory. The review identified 402 publications, of which 35 studies met criteria for inclusion. The overall effect size estimate, representing the mean standardized difference in pre-post change between memory-trained and control groups, was 0.31 standard deviations (SD; 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.22, 0.39). The pre-post training effect for memory-trained interventions was 0.43 SD (95% CI: 0.29, 0.57) and the practice effect for control groups was 0.06 SD (95% CI: −0.05, 0.16). Among 10 distinct memory strategies identified in studies, meta-analytic methods revealed that training multiple strategies was associated with larger training gains (p = 0.04), although this association did not reach statistical significance after adjusting for multiple comparisons. Treatment gains among memory-trained individuals were not better after training in any particular strategy, or by the average age of participants, session length, or type of control condition. These findings can inform the design of future memory training programs for older adults.

Keywords:

• memory training
• memory
• strategy use
• meta-analysis
• mnemonics

Acknowledgments

Dr. Gross was supported by a Johns Hopkins Sommer Scholars Fellowship. Dr. Parisi was supported by the National Institute of Mental Health Prevention Research Training Grant (T32 MH018834). Dr. Ko was supported by the National Institute on Aging Research Training in Age-Related Cognitive Disorders Training Grant (T32 AG027668). Dr. Saczynski was supported by the National Institute on Aging Career Development Award Medical Illness & Cognitive Impairment in Older Adults: Heart Failure as a Model (K01 AG033643). Authors would like to acknowledge Steven Koh, MD, MPH, MBA, and Ronald E. Holtzman, Ph.D., for their help in reviewing studies. No authors have any conflicts of interest. The opinions expressed here are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of the funding, academic, research, or governmental institutions involved.