Chatbot training may support memory in older adults
A 12-week randomized trial in 72 older adults without cognitive impairment found memory-test improvement and less decline in a brain-scan measure.
Blinded, registered KCT0004630
Limit: Extra engagement could explain memory gains because controls received no intervention
Edited by Boris Djordjevic · AgingResearch.News
In a randomized trial, 72 older adults without cognitive impairment received chatbot-based cognitive training or no intervention. The 37 training participants practiced for 30 minutes a day, five days a week, for 12 weeks; 35 served as controls. Researchers tested cognition and scanned white matter, the brain tissue that carries signals between regions.
After 12 weeks, the training group showed less decline than controls in a scan measure of white matter organization in selected pathways. The training group also improved on a test of episodic memory, the ability to remember events and experiences. Memory improvement was associated with changes in the scan measure in two pathways. The authors concluded that the program may support episodic memory and help maintain white matter organization in selected pathways.
Why it matters
Cognitive training aims to support brain health during aging. This trial examined whether an accessible chatbot program could contribute to brain maintenance, rather than assessing cognition alone.
Caveats
The comparison group received no intervention, and the trial lasted 12 weeks. The abstract did not report the size of the memory or scan differences, or adverse events; participants did not have cognitive impairment.
