The effect of anti-saccade and prosaccade training on processing speed and spatial working memory in elderly: pilot study

Background and Aim : Cognitive functioning is a well-known indicator of maintaining independence and survival in older adults. Some cognitive abilities, such as processing speed and working memory, decline gradually over time. Many of the cognitive changes reported in healthy older adults are the result of slowed processing speed. Thus, a decline in processing speed can have implications across a variety of cognitive domains. As well as, one of the most common cognitive complaints among older adults is change in memory. Age-related memory changes may be related to slowed processing speed, reduced ability to ignore irrelevant information, and decreased use of strategies to improve learning and memory. Sensory processing is the first stage of cognitive functions and Visual information is the central core of information input to the central nervous system. Likewise, studying eye movements is an inexpensive, fast, and accessible method for studying cognitive processes. Recently, research study with different patterns of eye movement have been used to study cognitive processes. In this regard, prosaccade and anti-saccade task have been used more frequently. Brain imaging studies have shown that prosaccade and anti-saccade tasks involve the most of cortical and subcortical areas in central nervous system. Considering that in old age, most areas of the central nervous system are degraded in structure and function. It seems that prosaccade and anti-saccade training have the potential to increase function in the central nervous system. Hence, the aim of this study was to investigate the effect of anti-saccade and prosaccade training on processing speed and spatial working memory in elderly.Methods : fifty-four elderly participated in this study and were randomly divided into three groups: prosaccade training (PT), anti-saccade training (AST) and control groups (CT). The MMSE Cognitive Status Test, Spatial working Memory Test (CORSI Test) and simple and Complex Reaction Time Test were evaluated using the Vienna Assessment System. The prosaccade and anti-saccade training groups were then trained for 3 weeks and 5 sessions of 30 minutes per week.Results : Repeated-measures ANOVA revealed that was no significant for simple reaction time (F (2, 50) = 1.22, p = .158). however, there was a statistically significant effect on choice reaction time (F (2, 50) = 8.60, p = .001). There was a significant difference between the two-training type on spatial working memory. the anti-saccade training program had a statistically significant effect on spatial working memory and better than prosaccade training, F (2, 50) = 3.91, p = .026).Conclusion : The current study found that choice reaction time and spatial working memory capacity improved by anti-saccade training. Another important finding was that prosaccade training had no significant effect on spatial working memory. The most obvious finding to emerge from the analysis is that prosaccade and anti-saccade training is beneficial for improvement reaction time and spatial working memory in elderly. An implication of this is the opportunity that Use prosaccade and anti-saccade training programs to improve cognitive ability in the elderly.

کلیدواژه ها:

cognition ، elderly ، processing speed ، eye movement training