POS4-14: Do the benefits of cognitive training last forever? A systematic study of the literature

BACKGROUND: Among the psycho-social interventions aimed at tackling age-related cognitive decline, cognitive training is the one showing the best results despite the low knowledge of its temporal aspects. OBJECTIVE: To fill this gap, we questioned the most recent literature to analyse studies time window, the presence of booster sessions, the training domains, and whether the effects were direct or transferred. METHODS: In compliance with the PRISMA statement, we conducted a search on the main scientific databases (e.g., PsycINFO, PubMed, CINAHL, etc.). RESULTS: The search returned 45 eligible studies. The studies showed that training could maintain cognitive functioning in healthy people or people with MCI, especially in the six months following the intervention. Regarding the additional sessions, they prolonged the benefits when they were offered to either people living with or without MCI. It also emerged that the effect of cognitive training (single or multi-domain) is both direct and transferred and that both improve cognitive functioning. Differently, in people living with dementia, training’s benefits were not maintained long after the end of the treatment: only one study showed positive effects in the follow-up analyses, and another demonstrated the efficacy of booster sessions. CONCLUSIONS: Although the benefits are more evident in healthy people and people with MCI, future studies should focus more on understanding the individual or the training-related factors impacting the long-term.