Scientists from the University of Michigan and Penn State found how to find the right memory strategy to slow cognitive decline.
The research is published in Alzheimer’s & Dementia and was conducted by Benjamin Hampstead et al.
In the study, researchers compared two approaches for people with an early form of memory loss.
The two are mnemonic strategy training, which aims to connect what someone is trying to remember to something else like a word, phrase, or song (such as the Dear Aunt Sally mnemonic), and spaced retrieval training, which gradually increases the amount of time between tests of remembering something.
People with mild cognitive impairment, which can but does not always lead to a later Alzheimer’s disease diagnosis, were better able to remember information when using one of these cognitive training approaches.
However, the team found that revealed which areas of the brain were more active, showed each activity works differently.
The research shows that we can help people with mild cognitive impairment improve the amount of information they learn and remember; however, different cognitive training approaches engage the brain in distinct ways.
The team says mnemonic strategy training increased activity in brain areas often affected by Alzheimer’s disease, which likely explains why this training approach helped participants remember more information for longer.
In contrast, those completing rehearsal-based training showed reduced brain activity, which suggests they were processing the information more efficiently.
The team noted that cognitive training approaches are likely to become increasingly important in synergy with the new pharmacological treatments on the horizon for those with neurodegenerative disorders.
Moving forward, researchers and clinicians can use this type of information to help identify the best-fit non-pharmacologic treatments for their patients with memory impairment.
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