School of Psychological Science, University of Western Australia, Perth, Australia.
Australian Alzheimer's Research Foundation, Ralph and Patricia Sarich Neuroscience Research Institute, Perth, Australia.
Exp Aging Res. 2021 Oct-Dec;47(5):414-435. doi: 10.1080/0361073X.2021.1876409. Epub 2021 Jan 31.
The present study tested a compensatory executive intervention for prospective memory (goal management training) for the first time in older adults. Prospective memory (the ability to remember and execute a task in the future) declines with age, with significant implications for older adults' activities of daily living and quality of life. Prospective memory interventions have focused primarily on the retrospective component of prospective memory (e.g., implementation intentions). However, executive dysfunction is also implicated in age-related prospective memory decline. Community-dwelling older adults were randomly allocated to receive goal management training, implementation intentions or no intervention. Prospective memory was assessed before and after the intervention with a well-validated laboratory-based prospective memory measure. Contrary to predictions, neither goal management training nor implementation intentions were successful at improving prospective memory in healthy older adults. Participants who received goal management training were more likely to have difficulty comprehending the intervention. Post-hoc analyses suggested implementation intentions improved prospective memory specifically for participants with poorer baseline prospective memory. These results represent important cautionary findings about the possible limitations of goal management training to improve prospective memory in older adults. Future research should also consider the role of baseline prospective memory ability in affecting response to compensatory intervention.
本研究首次在老年人中测试了前瞻性记忆（目标管理训练）的补偿性执行干预。前瞻性记忆（未来记住和执行任务的能力）随年龄增长而下降，对老年人的日常生活活动和生活质量有重大影响。前瞻性记忆干预主要集中在前瞻性记忆的回溯成分上（例如，实施意图）。然而，执行功能障碍也与年龄相关的前瞻性记忆下降有关。社区居住的老年人被随机分配接受目标管理训练、实施意图或不干预。使用经过充分验证的基于实验室的前瞻性记忆测量方法，在干预前后评估前瞻性记忆。与预测相反，目标管理训练和实施意图都不能成功改善健康老年人的前瞻性记忆。接受目标管理训练的参与者更有可能难以理解干预措施。事后分析表明，实施意图特别提高了前瞻性记忆，对于前瞻性记忆较差的参与者来说更是如此。这些结果代表了关于目标管理训练改善老年人前瞻性记忆的可能局限性的重要警示发现。未来的研究还应考虑基线前瞻性记忆能力在影响补偿干预反应中的作用。
