Article

Neuropsychological interventions have been mainly applied with
clinical populations, in spite of the need of preventing negative changes across
life span. Among the few studies of cognitive stimulation in elderly,
surprisingly there is no enough research comparing direct and indirect active
stimulation programs. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to verify wheter there are
differences between two cognitive interventions approaches in older adults: a
structured Working Memory (WM) Training Program versus a Poetry-based Stimulation
Program. METHODS: Fourteen older adults were randomly assigned to participate
into one of the two intervention groups. The assessed neurocognitive components
were attention, episodic and working memory, communicative and executive
functions. WM Training activities were based on Baddeley's model; Poetry-based
Stimulation Program was composed by general language activities. Data were
analyzed with one-way ANCOVA with Delta scores and pre and post-training tests
raw scores. RESULTS: WM group improved performance on WM, inhibition, and
cognitive flexibility measures, while Poetry group improved on verbal fluency and
narrative discourse tasks. DISCUSSION: Both approaches presented benefits;
however WM Training improved its target function with transfer effects to
executive functions, being useful for future studies with a variety of dementias.
Poetry-based Stimulation also improved complex linguistic abilities. Both
approaches may be helpful as strategies to prevent dysfunctional aging changes.

Langue : ANGLAIS