Rizkalla MN - The efficacy of a self-administered cognitive training program for improving cognition in normal elderly persons was evaluated in this randomized trial. The outcomes of this study supported the efficacy of self-directed cognitive training in reliably improving cognitive and functional abilities in normal older adults. The investigation illustrated the potential for self-directed prophylactic training in deterring the development of cognitive decline, while physicians were critical in enhancing the delivery of regimented treatment.

• The authors conducted a multisite, randomized control, double-blind trial with 28 experimental participants (M_age = 70.7 ± 8.89) and 28 active controls (M_age = 74.4 ± 9.39).
• Treatment conditions for this study were experimental intervention (EI) consisted of three modules: (1) executive functioning, (2) memory, and (3) emotion training.
• For this study, active control (AC) consisted of word searches, reading short stories, and answering multiple-choice questions.
• For 4 weeks, treatments were self-administered 1 hour/5 days a week.
• They utilized pre-and post-training neuropsychological outcome measures as determinants of program success.

• The EI group showed significant gains on targeted executive (p = .002) and memory (p< .001) composites, but not the emotion (p = .105) composite compared to the AC group.
• Moreover, there were training-induced benefits for the EI group on untrained items within global cognition (BCRS, p = .002) and functional abilities (DAD, p < .001; FRS, p = .042).
• For the EI, the percentage of participants who displayed reliable performance improvements was greater than AC on executive (55.5% vs. 12.5%), memory (55% vs. 19.5%) and functional (41% vs. 7.5%) ability.
• By the involvement of a physician, participant recruitment and compliance rates were enhanced.