Abstract
Background
The aim of the current study was to examine the effectiveness of the Active Cognitive Enhancement (ACE) program on source memory in older adults, using EEG measurements. The ACE program has been developed as a 10-week cognitive enhancement training program for healthy older adults.
Methods
Fifty-eight participants were assigned to either the ACE training group (N = 29, Age M = 66.45, SD = 5.37) or control group (N = 29, Age M = 66.41, SD = 4.92). Event related potentials (ERPs) were recorded during performance of a source memory task. The source memory task involved a study phase where participants were to learn 20 visually presented words, as well as the font colour (red or blue). The test phase involved 40 words (20 old and 20 new), and participants indicated whether the word had been presented in the study phase, and if so, what colour it had originally been. The experimental group were tested on the task prior to and immediately following completion of the 10 week program, as well as at three-, six- and 12-months post completion. Controls were tested at three time points, 10 weeks apart to replicate the time frame of the program, then six-months later.
Results
Behavioral results showed a significant increase in the number of hit-hit responses (correctly identified old word and colour) from pre to post program for the experimental group, however this was also seen in the control group. At the six month time point, the experimental group showed a further significant increase in hit-hit responses not found with the control group. Analysis of the EEG data indicated pre-post differences in brain activity of the experimental group in the right frontal area in both the early (400-800ms post stimuli) and late (600-1200ms post stimuli) time windows, as well as around the midline in fronto-central and central areas in the early time window. These differences were not observed in the control group.
Conclusions
These findings indicate that the ACE program produced significant improvements in source memory capabilities in a group of older adults, with EEG results suggesting that it may be linked to changed patterns of recruitment in particular brain areas.