Transfer effects of working memory intervention on linguistic abilities in patients with dementia

Abstract

Purpose: Working memory training for Alzheimer’s disease (AD) patients may yield everyday cognitive-linguistic benefits by facilitating transfer effects in multiple domains. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of working memory intervention and differences on transfer effects in type of intervention paradigm like core training (CT) and strategy training (ST). Methods: A total of 24 patients with mild and moderate AD were divided into CT and ST group (n = 12, respectively). After CT and ST interventions, we assessed their transfer effects on linguistic abilities including reading comprehension, figurative language, word fluency, and discourse production. Results: There were three main findings. Firstly, CT group improved significantly in figurative language, word fluency, and discourse production. Secondly, ST group showed the significant intervention gains in figurative language and discourse production. Thirdly, CT group had higher transfer effects in figurative language and discourse production than ST group, while both were similar in other transfer effects. Conclusion: This study proves that effects of working memory intervention for AD patients are different in type of paradigm, and thereby presents a roadmap for increasing the efficacy and utilization of working memory intervention in clinical settings.