Thursday 8th of May 16.30 – 18.00
Cortile delle Magnolie
Abstracts
1. Changes in personal characteristics and driving behavior in old age: results from the longitudinal study DoBoLSiS.
by Melanie Karthaus1 | Georg Rudinger2 | Fabian Graas2 | Edmund Wascher1 | Stephan Getzmann1
1 Leibniz Research Centre for Working Environment and Human Factors (IfADo)
2 Uzbonn
Introduction: Many factors that influence driving safety change with age, such as sensory, motor, and cognitive functions or general health. However, it is unclear which of these age-related changes are also associated with changes in driving behavior. Aim of the longitudinal study DoBoLSiS was to identify critical factors whose age-related changes are most likely to impair driving abilities.
Methods: More than 400 older drivers (67-76 years) were examined up to four times over a period of 5 years. The participants were asked about their individual driving habits, attitudes toward driving, and general health, and underwent cognitive performance tests. Moreover, they completed a drive in the driving simulator at each measurement to record their driving behavior.
Results: There was no evidence of a general deterioration in driving ability with age over the study period. However, declining performance in reaction speed and changes in some specific cognitive functions (attention, inhibition, flexibility in task switching) as well as subjective self-assessments related to a risky driving style were associated with a decline in driving ability.
Discussion: The results suggest that individual differences in safety-related personal characteristics should be taken into account when developing and selecting interventions to maintain the driving ability of older drivers.
2. Sources of resilience to work stress and burnout, the role of age, and a 5-year follow-up.
by Stephan Getzmann1 | Patrick D. Gajewski1 | Yannick Metzler1 | Mauro Larra1 | Edmund Wascher1 | Oliver Tüscher2
1 Leibniz Research Centre for Working Environment and Human Factor (IfADo), Dortmund, Germany
2 Leibniz Institute for Resilience Research (LIR)
Changes in the working world are leading to increased demands often associated with high levels of mental strain and occupational stress, especially for older employees. Different sources of resilience can play a role in the interplay between work demand, perceived stress and the development of burnout. Here, we studied possible benefits of cognitive reserve, physical fitness and social life in a sample of 519 employees aged 20-69 years from the Dortmund Vital Study (Clinicaltrials.gov NCT05155397) as well as their development in a 5- year follow-up in a subgroup of 154 employees. Perceived stress partially mediated the relationship between work demand and burnout. Resilience to work-related stress, as defined by Stressor Reactivity (SR) scores, was influenced by cognitive reserve, physical fitness and social life, with the influence of cognitive reserve decreasing with the age of the employees. However, only social life had an influence on resilience to stress-related burnout. This was also evident in the follow-up, with the age of the employees playing a minor role. Moreover, positive changes in resilience to burnout were associated with improvements in social life and physical fitness. Overall, the analysis confirmed long-term positive effects of physical fitness and social life on mental health in working life.
3. Age-differences in Multi-Digit Arithmetic: an fNIRS Study.
By Katharina S. Sautter1 | Xinru Yao1 | Elise Klein2 | Christina Artemenko1
1 Department of Psychology, University of Tuebingen, Germany
2 LaPsyDÉ – UMR CNRS 8240, Université Paris Cité, Paris, France
Mental arithmetic is an important skill that older people need in everyday life to maintain their independence. While some cognitive abilities decline with age (e.g., working memory), arithmetic abilities (e.g., arithmetic fact knowledge, carry/borrow operations) might be preserved due to lifelong practice. This study investigates how aging affects the cognitive and neural mechanisms of multi-digit arithmetic by using functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS). Brain activation of older adults (> 60 years) is compared to younger adults in a three-digit addition and subtraction task with different levels of difficulty (0, 1 or 2 carry/borrow operations). Age-related differences in brain activation are expected in the fronto-parietal network of arithmetic processing, revealing the mechanisms for age-related deficits, preservation or compensation. These findings will provide insights into the neural basis of arithmetic processing in higher age. First results will be presented at the conference.
4. The influence of age and age simulation on sorting and counting depends on cognitive load.
by Sabine Schaefer | Anna Heggenberger
Saarland University
Handling and manipulating small objects may be compromised in older age due to declines in sensory abilities and fine-motor control. The current study used glasses that reduce near visual acuity and gardening gloves to simulate age-related constraints in young adults. Young adults were randomly distributed across four experimental groups: no simulation (n= 12), glasses (n= 13), gloves (n= 13), or both (n= 11), and were compared to middle-aged and older adults (age range 40 -77 years; n= 17). Participants were instructed to sort and count 100 coloured chocolate lentils by colour over the course of 8 sessions. The number for each colour should be written down immediately after counting it (= no load), or only after all five colours had been counted (= load). Wearing gloves increased the counting times of young adults to the level of middle-aged and older adults. Working with a cognitive load as compared to no load increased counting times for older adults and for young adults without gloves, but the load-effect was absent in young adults with gloves. This indicates that young adults can “use” their slowed motor performance to increase cognitive processing, a compensatory strategy that is not available to older adults.
5. Clear Decisions: Perceptual Clarity Reduces Age-Related Deficits in Decision-Making.
by Christopher Atkin1 | Kate Roberts1 | Hareth Al-Janabi2 | Stephen Badham1 | Sam Perry2
1 Nottingham Trent University
2 University of Birmingham
Making effective decisions becomes increasingly important with age (e.g., health, financial planning, autonomy), yet older adults often face challenges in decision-making due to age- related changes in cognitive and perceptual processes. Age related declines in perception and cognition are not independent, raising the possibility that cognitive performance can be improved by reducing the cognitive load associated with decoding impoverished perceptual input. This study investigates the impact of perceptual clarity on decision-making performance in young (18–30 years) and older adults (75+ years). Participants completed decision-making tasks with perceptually clear and unclear written scenarios. The aim was to determine whether older adults experience reduced age-deficits in decision-making performance when presented with perceptually clear (vs unclear) information. Results showed that older adults benefited more from improved perceptual clarity than young adults. Findings contribute to understanding how perceptual factors influence decision- making, with implications for improving decision-making support for older adults. The results suggest that age-related deficits can be mitigated by improving perceptual clarity, either through independent strategies (e.g., wearing glasses, using magnifiers) and/or providing clear and accessible decision-making information.
6. Age-related differences in social problem-solving: The role of theory of mind and cognitive functioning.
by Irene Ceccato | Pasquale La Malva | Adolfo Di Crosta | Nicola Mammarella | Rocco Palumbo | Alberto Di Domenico
Department of Psychology, “G. d’Annunzio” University of Chieti-Pescara, Italy
Research indicates that Theory of Mind (ToM) declines with age, yet the impact on older adults’ social competence remains underexplored. This study examined age-related differences in social problem-solving (SPS) -the ability to manage socially challenging situations- while also investigating the specific contributions of ToM and cognitive functioning to this ability. Participants included younger adults (18–35) and older adults (65–85), who were presented with scenarios depicting embarrassing or awkward interpersonal situations. Each scenario required participants to generate and select potential resolution strategies. ToM was assessed using the Strange Stories task, while cognitive functioning was evaluated with a comprehensive battery including inhibition, shifting, updating, and reasoning. Preliminary results from 66 participants (36 older adults) showed no significant differences between age groups in the quality of generated solutions, although younger adults produced a greater number of solutions overall. Notably, older adults were more likely than younger participants to select solutions deemed optimal from a practical perspective but lacking in social sensitivity. The contributions of ToM and cognitive functioning to SPS were found to be modest, suggesting that social problem- solving competence is relatively independent of these abilities. This finding aligns with existing literature indicating preserved emotional and interpersonal competence in older adults.
7. Do Older Adults Struggle with Theory of Mind? A Meta- Analysis of Task Characteristics and Age-Related Differences.
by Anne-Lise Florkin | Daniele Gatti | Serena Lecce | Elena Cavallini
University of Pavia
As people age, a decline in social interactions may occur, leading to reduced social cognition. Over a decade ago, a meta-analysis examined age-related differences in Theory of Mind (ToM), but since then, over 600 additional studies on this topic have produced mixed findings. We conducted an updated meta-analysis to determine whether older adults consistently show ToM impairments compared to younger adults, examining potential moderators such as task domain, modality, and task type, along with ecological validity and respondent perspective. Analyzing 67 studies across 69 datasets and 113 ToM tasks, we found that older adults generally face ToM difficulties, likely due to the inherent complexity of social cognition, as no task-related moderators showed significant effects. However, two- thirds of tasks had low ecological validity and primarily used a third-person perspective, limiting conclusions about these moderators. A recent review suggests that factors often missing in lab settings—such as capacity, motivation, and context—may exaggerate observed age-related ToM declines. This meta-analysis highlights the need for ecologically valid, second-person tasks to better assess whether these factors could improve ToM performance in older adults.
8. Advancing research on aging, social cognition, and well-being: the potential of Ecological Momentary Assessment (EMA) and methodological considerations.
Federico Curzel1 | Serena Lecce1 | Chiara Barattieri di San Pietro2 | Valentina Bambini2 | Alessia Rosi1 | Lara Fracassi1 | Elena Cavallini1
1 Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, University of Pavia
2 Laboratory of Neurolinguistics and Experimental Pragmatics (NEP), University School for Advanced Studies IUSS, Pavia
Socio-cognitive abilities, such as Theory of Mind (ToM) and pragmatics, are essential for quality of life and well-being but tend to decline with age. Traditional research methods, often reliant on paper-and-pencil questionnaires, provide only retrospective and indirect assessments of these abilities. Ecological Momentary Assessment (EMA), a method using smartphone apps to collect real-time data in naturalistic settings, offers a dynamic alternative by reducing recall bias and enhancing ecological validity. Despite its promise, EMA remains underutilized in studying socio-cognitive abilities, with limited exploration of its design, participant engagement, and methodological challenges. This study critically examines the use of EMA to assess the interplay between socio-cognitive abilities, social functioning, and well-being in younger (N = 80) and older adults (N = 76). It highlights EMA’s strengths, such as its capacity to capture momentary fluctuations, while addressing challenges like cognitive and temporal demands on participants. By comparing compliance and responses across age groups, the study identifies opportunities and limitations in tailoring EMA to diverse populations. The findings underscore EMA’s potential to advance research on aging and social cognition, as well as their impact on social functioning and well-being, while advocating for methodological refinements to enhance its accessibility and reliability.
9. Caring Minds: Socio-Cognitive Abilities in the Caregiver–Care-Recipient Relationship.
by Giulia Arenare¹ | Serena Lecce¹ | Sara Bottiroli | Alessia Rosi² | Irene Ceccato³ | Adolfo Di Crosta³ | Rocco Palumbo³ | Sonja Pedell4 | Elena Cavallini¹
¹Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
²IRCCS, Mondino
³Department of Psychology, “G. d’Annunzio” University of Chieti-Pescara, Italy
4Swinburne Living Lab, Swinburne University of Technology, Melbourne Australia
The caregiver–care recipient relationship is inherently complex and influences the psychological well-being and overall quality of life of the dyad. Indeed, a higher quality relationship is associated with reduced stress and increased satisfaction. Socio-cognitive abilities, such as the understanding of others’ emotions and needs (Theory of Mind – ToM), may play a crucial role in promoting mutual understanding within caregiving dynamics. This study investigates the role of caregivers’ socio-cognitive abilities in the caregiving relationship. Twenty-one healthy older adults and their informal caregivers (M age = 58.52, SD = 7.33) were assessed using both traditional and innovative measures of the quality of the relationship, including an observational assessment conducted during tablet-based activities designed to elicit dyadic interaction. Findings reveal that higher affective ToM predicts lower caregiver detachment (p = .024). Additionally, greater cognitive hypermentalization – the tendency to over-attribute mental states to others – predicts higher caregiver detachment (p = .044), whereas affective hypomentalization – the reduced or inaccurate attribution of mental state predicts greater caregiver harshness (p = .026). Finally, a trend emerged suggesting that higher overall ToM tends to predict greater caregiver sensitivity (p = .06). Overall, these results indicate that stronger caregivers’ socio-cognitive skills are positively associated with a higher quality of the relationship.
10. Are Personal Constructs Related to Theory of Mind? Perspective across Adulthood.
by Lara Fracassi | Elena Cavallini
Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
Relationships play a crucial role in an individual’s emotional well-being, especially in older adults. During social interactions, various skills come into play, fundamental is Theory of Mind (ToM), which allows individuals to interpret their own and others’ mental states (thoughts, emotions, desires). This skill is useful in predicting others’ behaviours and seems to be linked, at least in part, to executive functioning. However, when anticipating actions, we also draw upon past experiences and therefore the mental schemas created from these experiences. To date, no study has analysed the association between these schemas and ToM. The aim of the present study is to examine the link between mental schemas, using the personal construct approach and ToM in young and older adults. The study involved 30 young adults (aged 20-30) and 30 older adults (over 65 years old), who were administered two ToM tests and an adaptation of Kelly’s personal construct grid. Preliminary network analysis revealed that cognitive complexity emerged as the most central and influential variable across both networks, highlighting its crucial role in mentalization processes. The structural differences and variations in connection strength observed between the two networks suggest that the importance of cognitive complexity is stronger in older adults.
11. The protective role of social connectedness in the relationship between increases in depressive symptoms and cognitive decline in older adults.
by Adriana Rostekova | Charikleia Lampraki | Andreas Ihle
University of Geneva
Depressive symptoms are a well-documented risk factor associated with cognitive decline. On the other hand, social relationships can act as a protective factor when it comes to cognitive decline in the general population. However, there is a critical gap in the literature with regards to the potentially heightened significance of interpersonal connections for the particularly vulnerable population of older adults experiencing depressive symptoms. To address this gap, the proposed study will examine the link between interpersonal relationships and cognitive development of adults aged 50 years and above who report experiencing depressive symptoms using data from the Survey of Health and Retirement in Europe (SHARE, 9 waves). Using multilevel modelling and established measures of verbal fluency and delayed and immediate recall, we will investigate the role of social connectedness in cognitive performance and decline. Then, more nuanced analyses will investigate the contributing roles of living alone as well as of the size of the general social network versus the number of its members with very close emotional ties. The project aims to contribute to the growing body of research exploring the protective factors associated with cognitive ageing of this particularly vulnerable group.
12. Towards conceptual clarity and corresponding instructions to measure cognitive and social activities for healthy brain aging.
Giselle Menting, MSc | Jeroen Bruinsma, PhD | Rik Crutzen, PhD
Department of Health Promotion, Care and Public Health Research Institute, Maastricht University, the Netherlands
Cognitive and social activities are associated with healthy brain aging and reduced dementia risk. However, lack of conceptual clarity hinders accurate measurement and intervention development. To address this, we are conducting an integrative review of 12,452 articles to extract definitions of cognitive and social activities. Screening is completed and data analysis is expected to be finalized by March. The findings will be triangulated with insights from an expert panel and results of already conducted semi-structured interviews with middle-aged and older adults (N=19, of whom 11 women; 7 less educated; 9 financially struggling; and 5 with a migration background). Thus far, recruitment specifically targeted lower SEP groups, as they are underrepresented in research despite potentially benefiting most from interventions that promote healthy brain aging.
Our preliminary results indicate that activities’ cognitive and social value is highly contextual and personal. For instance, creative activities like knitting are cognitively engaging for some but not for others. This seems to depend on interest, prior experience, and novelty. By synthesizing these and many more insights, we aim to develop clear concept definitions to improve corresponding measurement tools and design interventions for diverse populations. This work ultimately contributes to promoting healthy brain aging among community-dwelling adults.
13. Do Lifestyle Factors Predict Compensatory Ability in Older Adults? Evidence from a Probabilistic Learning Task.
by Jana Isabelle Braunwarth | Nicola Kristina Ferdinand
University of Wuppertal
As people age, learning tends to slow down and becomes less efficient. However, research suggests that emotional feedback can help mitigate these deficits by compensation. This study examined whether lifestyle factors like social participation and physical exercise can predict the extent to which older adults benefit from emotional feedback during learning. In this study, N=82 healthy older adults with a mean age of 70.6 years (SD=5.23) completed a probabilistic learning task, receiving emotional and non-emotional feedback. Questionnaires assessed social participation and physical exercise across three dimensions: importance, recent engagement, and long-term engagement. Hierarchical regression analyses were used to explore the impact of these lifestyle factors on learning outcomes. The analyses revealed that emotional feedback improved learning, as indicated by higher accuracy and faster reaction times. Social participation did not significantly enhance learning from emotional feedback. Physical exercise, however, showed a significant impact, although more physically active participants exhibited a smaller benefit in reaction times after emotional than nonemotional feedback. This may suggest that physically active individuals may not need to recruit compensatory mechanisms as much as less active individuals. Future research should focus on refining measures of social participation to better understand its role in learning from emotional feedback.
14. Collaborative Learning with Social Robots in Ageing.
by Kelly Wolfe1 | Sarah E. MacPherson2 | Mauro Dragone1,3 | Malwina Niechciał1
1 Heriot-Watt University
2 University of Edinburgh
3 National Robotarium
As we age, learning becomes more challenging due to age-related changes to cognitive abilities (such as working memory, and processing speed). There is evidence that collaborative learning can benefit older adults due to its social component. However, this requires an existing social network, which is not available to all older adults. In recent years, the use of robots has become more common in assisting older adults with cognitive decline and there may be benefits in using robots to support learning in healthy older adults. The current study examined older adults’ long-term learning benefits from learning with a collaborative partner, as well as differences in performance between types of partners, and participants’ strategy use and level of interaction with their collaborative partner.
A total of 30 healthy older adults (aged 60 years or older) participated in a collaborative learning task with a human, robot, or digital assistant. They also completed a cognitive test battery and were assessed on their task recall after 7 days to assess long-term benefits. At this time, all data has been collected and is being analysed by the research team, with analyses projected to have been completed before the EUCAS conference in May.
15. Assessing cognitive engagement variety vs. frequency: A skill-learning intervention.
by Leah Ferguson1 | Arash Mehrkesh1 | Esra Kurum1 | George W. Rebok2 | Rachel Wu1
1 University of California, Riverside
2 Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
Cognitive aging research has suggested that the more variety an individual has in their day- to-day activities, the more protective this may be against age-related decline in healthy older adults. However, much of this research utilizes observational data and has not been assessed in an experimental intervention design. The present study examined the effects of skill-learning frequency and variety on cognitive abilities with older adults in a 2×2 intervention design. This 8-week intervention randomly assigned 71 community-dwelling older adults (80.3% female, Mage = 70.49 years) to four conditions combining high or low frequency of learning and high or low variety of skills learned including drawing, music composition, Spanish, singing, or acting. Due to the restriction of COVID-19 pandemic, participants only completed baseline, pre-test, and 2-year follow-up cognitive in-person assessments for working memory and cognitive control. Latent change score models for the cognitive domains revealed that higher variety of skill learning predicted more improvement in working memory compared with lower variety, while frequency demonstrated no significant effect. Our findings suggest that even a couple hours of varied skill learning per week may positively impact cognitive health, though individual differences should be considered.
16. The Influence of Peer Navigators on Adherence and Retention: A Study within a Randomized Clinical Trial of a Cognitive Intervention.
by Shannon K. Runge1 | Elizabeth M. Hudak2 | Jade A. Sutfin1 | Victor R. Dobrovolskiy1 | Jerri D. Edwards1
1 University of Alabama at Birmingham
2 Clemson
Introduction: Participant adherence and retention are critical to investigations of cognitive interventions, yet successfully engaging older adults in clinical trials can be challenging. Peer navigators, trained laypersons with similar experiences as trial participants, may positively influence participant engagement. This study within a trial (SWAT) examined whether peer navigators influenced adherence and retention in a clinical trial of cognitive interventions among older adults.
Methods: Data from 268 community-dwelling older adults enrolled in a cognitive intervention study were analyzed. A subsample of participants (n=36) were each assigned a peer navigator, a former participant who had completed the trial. Independent samples t-test and Chi-square test assessed the effects of navigator assignment on intervention session completion and study retention.
Results: Participants assigned to a navigator completed 4.1 more intervention sessions on average, t(134.2)=-6, p<.001 and were more likely to complete the study, X2(1, n=261)=10, p=.002. All participants assigned a navigator completed the study, compared to 76% without a navigator.
Discussion: Among a sample of relatively healthy community-dwelling older adults, peer navigators improved participant adherence and study retention in a clinical trial of cognitive intervention. Results highlight the value of personalized peer support to maintain participant engagement in a clinical trial.
17. Collaborative or individual training in older age: SWIFT, a new tool to age successfully.
by Grazia Cerullo1 | Sabrina Cipolletta1 | Fabio Le Piane2 | Mauro Gaspari2 | Giovanna Mioni1 | Sara Zuppiroli2 | Matthias Kliegel3 | Alexandra Hering4 | Nicola Ballhausen4 | Franca Stablum1
1 Department of General Psychology, University of Padua
2 Department of Informatics, Science and Engineering, University of Bologna
3 Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, University of Geneva
4 Department of Developmental Psychology, University of Tilburg
Ageing is associated by a multitude of changes in cognitive abilities, such as executive functions (e.g., planning and problem-solving), which in turn affect wellbeing and quality of life. Stimulating these abilities could help maintain independence. On the other hand, cooperation within small groups may reinforce the stimulation effects and promote self-efficacy and self-consciousness.
Thus, a programme that combines a training in these abilities with a collaborative setting may be a successful way to promote active ageing. Shared, Web-based, Intelligent Thinking Training (SWIFT) is a new AI tool that aims to enhance problem solving abilities by simulating a real-life scenario, in a collaborative or individual setting.
A study was conducted to verify the effectiveness of SWIFT. A sample of 30 older adults (age: 65-85) was randomly assigned to receive either collaborative or individual training.
The training consisted of 2 sessions per week for a total of 10 sessions, in which the participants had to plan a 2-day trip in Rome by booking hotels, buying train tickets, and moving around on a virtual map of the city.
By comparing the two training settings, it is interesting to point out differences in the learning rhythm and modalities and in the effects on the cognitive performance.
18. Can Self-Administered Virtual Reality Training Enhance Episodic Memory? A Feasibility Study on Home-Based Cognitive Training in Older Adults.
by Maximilian Haas | Pauline Berthouzoz | Deian Popic | Corinna Martarelli
UniDistance Suisse
This study investigates the potential of a self-administered virtual reality (VR) training program to enhance episodic memory, while also assessing its feasibility for use in older adults (aged 65 years and above). Twenty participants will complete eight training sessions over a 14-day period from their own homes using a fully immersive head-mounted display, engaging in a VR-based “Shelf Task”: In each session, participants are required to accurately place eight distinct objects on a virtual shelf, memorize their location, and then replace them according to their correct spatial position. Visual feedback of their performance is provided post-trial. Each training session includes 10 trials with different sets of 3D objects each. Additionally, participants complete questionnaires measuring
motivation, perceived task difficulty, daily stress, and self-confidence. Pre- and post-study laboratory sessions, including different memory tasks (e.g., California Verbal Learning Test), will evaluate potential cognitive transfer effects beyond the trained task. This study will provide first insights into the feasibility and potential cognitive benefits of the VR-based “Shelf-Task”. More generally, the findings from this study may guide future research on the applicability of immersive VR-based cognitive training in aging populations.
19. A comparison of the animacy effect in episodic memory between young and older adults.
by Luisa Knopf1 | Meike Kroneisen2 | Edgar Erdfelder3 | Siri-Maria Kamp1
1 Trier University
2 RPTU
3 University of Mannheim
A large body of studies has demonstrated that animate things (such as animals or humans) are better remembered than inanimate objects. This feature of human episodic memory may have developed during evolution to optimize conditions for survival. The mechanisms behind the animacy effect remain unclear, with different explanations emphasizing elaboration during encoding, attentional capture or linguistic factors. These theories lead to different hypotheses regarding potential age differences in the effect. In the present study, we hence examined the animacy effect in young and older adults and recorded EEG data during the task to gain insight into its underlying neural mechanisms. Both age groups showed a significant animacy effect. Event-related potentials during encoding revealed that the N400 component tended to be attenuated for animates, potentially suggesting facilitated semantic access for these items. Since the animacy effect appears to be intact in older adults, potentially due to interactions of age-invariant semantic processes with episodic memory, interventions to compensate for episodic memory decline may be developed on the basis of these results.
20. Far transfer effects of a culturally adapted memory strategy training for older adults.
by Sarina Siebenberg | Lena Müller | Donja Sockara | Jutta Kray
Saarland University
Cultural background appears to influence memory strategy effectiveness, with Westerners favoring categorical grouping and self-referencing, while Easterners prefer relational grouping, with both self- and other-referencing being effective. These differences may become more pronounced with age due to accumulated experience with applying those strategies. In our training study, older adults (60-80 years) practiced one culturally preferred and one non-preferred memory strategy (Gr. 1: relational grouping/selfreferencing, Gr. 2: categorical grouping/other-referencing) over three sessions. We assessed far transfer effects on item and associative memory by measuring total words recalled and learning rates in the Auditory Verbal Learning Test (AVLT) as well as in a paired-associate learning test (PALT), comparing results to an active control group engaged in a decisionmaking task. We hypothesized that applying trained culturally preferred strategies to nontrained tasks (AVLT, PALT) would lead to greater improvements. Preliminary analysis of German participants revealed that in the AVLT, groups differed in learning rates at baseline, but all showed improvement post-training. Younger German participants recalled more words than older participants in both tasks. Notably, in the PALT, only older participants improved from pre- to posttest regarding the total number of words recalled.
21. Improving memory in the elderly: integrating strategic memory training and neurostimulation.
by Sonia Paternò1 | Alice Valcarenghi2 | Gabriele Manna1 | Chiara Ferrari1,3 | Sara Bernini3 | Elena Cavallini1 | Sara Bottiroli1,3
1 Università degli Studi di Pavia
2 Università degli Studi di Chieti
3 IRCCS Fondazione Mondino
Memory decline constitutes a significant challenge in aging, affecting older adults’ daily lives. Strategic memory training has been shown to enhance memory abilities in older individuals more effectively than adaptive memory training, facilitating generalization over other tasks. While combining adaptive memory training with transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) appears beneficial for memory enhancement, no studies have investigated coupling strategic memory training with tDCS.
The present study aims to determine whether the integration of tDCS with strategic memory training leads to greater improvements in memory performance compared to strategic memory training alone.
Sixteen healthy older adults attended five strategic memory training sessions, while tDCS was applied over the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC). Ten participants were randomly assigned to the experimental group (Mage=71,30 years, Meducation=15,10 years) receiving real anodic tDCS, and six to the control group (Mage=69,50 years, Meducation=13,50 years) receiving sham tDCS. Their performance in an associative memory task was evaluated before training (T0), immediately after (T1), and at one-month follow-up (T2).
Preliminary data indicate a significant improvement in the associative memory task execution between T0 and T1, although tDCS did not significantly enhance their performance. A larger sample size may clarify the potential benefits of this combined approach.
22. Training Strategies and Metacognition in Older Adults: efficacy of implementation intentions to foster completion of self-assigned prospective memory tasks.
by Emilie Joy-Burra | Sascha Zuber | Anne-Claude Juillerat Van der Linden | Matthias Kliegel
University of Geneva
Training memory strategies without addressing strategy adaptation and generalization often fails to produce transfer to untrained tasks, particularly in everyday memory contexts. To overcome these limitations, this study provided healthy older adults (ages 65–88) with psychoeducation on memory and metacognition and trained them on mnemonic and self- regulation strategies, including implementation intentions (II) and stop-think-plan-act (STPA). Over six weeks, participants attended group sessions and completed personalized follow-ups with daily prospective memory (PM) diaries to track self-assigned tasks and strategy use.
Using at least one trained strategy more than doubled the likelihood of completing self- assigned PM tasks. The efficacy of self-regulation strategies (II and STPA) varied by age: older-old adults (≥81 years) benefited most (OR = 4.94), followed by those in their 70s (OR
= 2.61). Younger-old adults showed smaller gains, highlighting age-related differences in strategy effectiveness. When looking at II specifically, the strategy was especially useful for tasks that were difficult, non-urgent, or familiar, making it particularly effective for overcoming procrastination.
This study demonstrates the potential of tailored cognitive training to improve everyday PM in older adults. Integrating metacognition and self-regulation strategies Thus appears critical for addressing real-world memory challenges and supporting independence and well-being in aging populations.
23. The benefit of a culturally adapted memory training for German older adults.
by Lena Müller | Sarina Siebenberg | Jutta Kray
Saarland University
Cross-cultural differences in strategy use for memorizing items and their source are assumed to be more pronounced in older age given the long-term experience in applying specific strategies across the lifespan. There is some evidence that Westerners prefer categorial grouping and self-referencing for memorizing, while Easterners prefer relational grouping and show no differences between self- and other-referencing strategies. Here we designed a training study in which older adults (60-80 years) practiced one culturally preferred and one culturally non-preferred memory strategy (Group1: relational grouping/self-referencing; Group2: categorical grouping/other-referencing) in three training sessions. Transfer effects were determined as performance benefits at posttest relative to pretest in item and source memory and compared against performance benefits of an active control group performing a gambling task. We expected larger transfer effects in the two memory tasks, when older adults were trained in the culturally preferred strategy. Preliminary findings from the German sample only showed memory improvements in all groups in both tasks. That is, we found a significant increase in hit rates in the referencing and the grouping task. In contrast to our expectations, these improvements were neither specific to strategy use nor to the type of strategy.
24. Effects of NeuroPlay neurofeedback training on cognitive functioning in post-stroke patients.
by Ludmiła Zając-Lamparska1 | Monika Wiłkość-Dębczyńska1 | Daria Kukuła1 | Anna Werońska2
1 Kazimierz Wielki University in Bydgoszcz, Poland
2 NeuroPlay – YOT MED Sp. z o.o.
Multifaceted rehabilitation strategies are crucial for improving stroke patients’ cognitive functioning and quality of life. Neurofeedback methods’ usability for stroke patients’ rehabilitation has been known for decades. However, the technique is not commonly used despite its relatively low cost. Furthermore, controlled studies demonstrating the specific effects of neurofeedback on intervention for post-stroke cognitive impairments are rare.
The presented study aimed to evaluate the effect of neurofeedback training using the NeuroPlay solution on cognitive functioning in post-stroke individuals.
The study sample included 94 patients, comprising 33 in the experimental group, 38 in the passive control group, and 23 in the active control group. Participants in the experimental group attended 16 neurofeedback training sessions spread over 4 weeks. Participants in the active control group participated in the same schedule of cognitive function exercises using paper-and-pencil tasks. The passive control group was a no-contact group.
The results indicate that NeuroPlay training significantly improved the overall score on the Mini-Mental State Examination test, the scores of part of the Addenbrook Cognitive Examination III subscales, namely attention, verbal fluency, and language, correctness in the continuous performance task, and the comprehension, expression, and reading indices of the S.O.D.A. test.
25. Preventing Cognitive Frailty: what people know and what they’d be willing to change.
by Shaimaa Elhag1 | Tasmin Rookes2 | Ruoyu Wang3 | Mohaddeseh Ziyachi4 | Millennium Iyobuchiebomie5 | Alan Gow1
1 Heriot-Watt University
2 University College London
3 University of Essex
4 Durham University
5 Sheffield Hallam University
Background: While cognitive frailty (CF) can be prevented or delayed, existing research focuses on mid- and older adults. The perspectives of diverse populations, including nonfrail, younger adults have often been omitted.
Aim: The study aims to assess public knowledge of CF prevention and explore people’s willingness and ability of individuals to engage in preventive behaviours across different age groups.
Methods: A survey will be distributed to adults aged 21 and above, in the UK, capturing data on beliefs regarding CF risks, current cognitive health activities, and willingness to make future lifestyle changes.
Results: Chi-square tests and regression models will be utilised to identify age-related differences in CF awareness and preventive behaviour likelihood. The analysis will highlight variations in beliefs about CF and engagement in preventive actions across age groups, providing insights into the demographic barriers that influence behaviour change. Results will be available and presented at the conference.
Conclusions: Understanding these factors will offer valuable insights into public perceptions of CF, facilitating the development of targeted and relevant behaviour change interventions to reduce CF risk and enhance cognitive and physical health across the lifespan.
26. EEG Biomarkers for Differentiating Pathological Decline from Normal Cognitive Aging: A Cost-Effective and Non-Invasive Tool for Longitudinal Diagnostics.
by Johannes Meixner | Hannah Scheibner | Martin Heinze | Volker Dahling | Kerstin Jost
Brandenburg Medical School, Neuruppin, Germany
Differentiating pathological decline from normal cognitive aging remains a challenge. Electroencephalography (EEG) offers a cost-effective, non-invasive alternative to imaging and cerebrospinal fluid analysis for identifying biomarkers associated with cognitive decline and dementia. The ADEEG study evaluates the diagnostic and predictive potential of resting-state EEG (rsEEG) and event-related potentials (ERP) to distinguish between cognitively normal individuals (NOLD), those with mild cognitive impairment (MCI), and Alzheimer’s disease dementia (ADD). Key objectives include identifying EEG biomarkers that differentiate these groups, exhibit high sensitivity and specificity, correlate with neurocognitive performance, and predict cognitive deterioration. Eighty participants (20 ADD, 24 MCI, 36 NOLD) from memory clinics at Brandenburg Medical School underwent comprehensive clinical, neuropsychological, and neurophysiological assessments, including rsEEG and ERP measures targeting attention (auditory oddball task), working memory (n- back task), and episodic memory (face-name association task). Initial results reveal group differences: rsEEG “slowing” indicating cortical impairment, delayed and reduced P3 amplitudes in the oddball task reflecting attention deficits, and diminished ERP-PN amplitudes in the n-back task indicating working memory decline. In addition, these biomarkers were predictive of cognitive and memory performance one year and two years later. The findings underscore EEG’s potential to improve longitudinal diagnostic pathways and support early intervention in neurodegenerative diseases.
27. Resting-State EEG Biomarkers for Alzheimer’s Dementia and Cognitive Decline.
by Kerstin Jost1 | Oliver Labrenz1 | Moritz Hegert1 | Johannes Meixner1 | Patrick Gajewski2 | Stephan Getzmann2 | Edmund Wascher2 | Hannah Scheibner1 | Volker Dahling1 | Patrick Khader3
1 Brandenburg Medical School
2 Leibniz Research Centre for Working Environment and Human Factors at the TU-Dortmund
3 Charlotte-Fresenius University
Cognitive decline is linked to alterations in resting-state EEG, including a “slowing” of the EEG and reduced alpha reactivity. While these markers are well-documented in group comparisons, their use in individual diagnostics requires an understanding of (1) their interrelations and dynamic interactions, and (2) their specificity for Alzheimer’s dementia (AD) beyond normal aging. We analyzed resting-state EEG (eyes open vs. closed) in two samples: (1) >300 participants (20–70 years) from the Dortmund Vital Study (Clinicaltrials.gov: NCT05155397) to investigate age effects, and (2) >70 older adults from the ADEEG study, categorized as cognitively normal, mild cognitively impaired, or AD. AD was associated with reduced alpha reactivity, elevated delta power, and a lower alpha-theta transition frequency (TF), whereas individual alpha frequency and alpha peak power were not specific for dementia but also obvious in normal aging. Exploratory factor analysis identified two independent EEG components, a frequency and a power component. Preliminary data indicated that the specific combination of alpha-delta power differences with TF achieved the highest accuracy for distinguishing AD from cognitively normal participants in ROC analyses, highlighting its potential as a diagnostic biomarker. These findings provide new insights into EEG-based markers for cognitive decline and their application in clinical settings.
28. Changes of cognitive functions across the lifespan in seropositive and seronegative Toxoplasma gondii adults.
by Patrick D. Gajewski | Klaus Golka | Jan G. Hengstler | Jörg Reinders | Edmund Wascher | Stephan Getzmann
Leibniz Research Centre for Working Environment and Human Factors at TU Dortmund
About one-third of humans worldwide show Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii) positive antibody status. Recent findings showed serious consequences of latent infection on the central nervous system, leading to cognitive impairments. However, little is known about the temporal dynamics of the changes. The present study aims at evaluating the course of cognitive changes across the adult life span in relation to latent T. gondii infection. In a double-blinded design data of 253 seropositive and 476 seronegative adults aged between 20 to 88 years were compared in respect to cognitive functions, such as memory, attention, and executive functions. The results show superior cognitive performance in infected vs. non-infected young to middle aged adults and a reversed pattern in older age. Specifically, this interaction between age and T. gondii was evident in short-term and working memory, learning ability, immediate recall, as well es interference processing in a Stroop task and switching ability evaluated with Trail Making Tests. These findings support a recently proposed model of dynamically changing effects of T. gondii on central nervous system with increasing age. Because of the high prevalence of asymptomatic T. gondii and an increasing population of older adults this finding is of high relevance for public health.
29. KCC2 as a novel pharmacological target for reversing agerelated cognitive decline.
by Alessandra Cucinelli1 | Ilaria Colombi1 | Federica Piccardi2 | Maria Bolla1 | Tiziana La Bella3 | Marco Borgogno4 | Giuseppe Ronzitti3 | Marco De Vivo4 | Andrea Contestabile1 | Annalisa Savardi1 | Laura Cancedda1
1 Department of Neuroscience and Brain Technologies, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (IIT), Genova, Italy
2 Animal Facility, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (IIT), Genova, Italy
3 Genethon, 91000 Evry, France; Paris-Saclay University, University Evry, Inserm, Integrare research unit UMR_S951, Evry, France
4 Molecular Modeling and Drug Discovery, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (IIT), Genova, Italy
Aging leads to the buildup of cellular and molecular damage, also affecting the central nervous system. This results in cognitive and memory deficits, dementia, sleep disturbances. Additionally, some elderly individuals experience adverse reactions to benzodiazepines. The literature indicates GABA as fundamental in memory formation and potentially involved in age-related cognitive decline. Two key players in maintaining the correct balance between neuronal excitation and inhibition through GABAA-receptor signalling are the chloride importer NKCC1 and the chloride exporter KCC2. Here, we identified a significant difference in KCC2 expression in the hippocampi of elderly mice (24-month-old) and elderly people (over 75 years old), when compared to control mice (2-monthold) and young adult people (20–25 years old). Moreover, we found that the KCC2 expression dysregulation might be possibly due to post-translational modifications (i.e., phosphorylation). Furthermore, in in vivo calcium-imaging experiments, aged mice presented an altered inhibitory response to benzodiazepines. Pharmacological targeting of KCC2 by two different compounds rescued the age-associated cognitive impairment, which we observed in behavioural studies. Finally, direct KCC2-expression manipulation in the CA1 region of young mice induced cognitive impairment. Altogether, our studies suggest KCC2 as a possible target to rescue cognitive impairment during elderliness.
30. White Matter Hyperintensities in Subjective Cognitive Decline : Assessing the Impact on Cognitive Function and Exploring Relationships with Amyloid Burden.
by Eunye Lim | Dongwon Yang
Department of neurology, College of Medicine, Catholic University of Korea
Objective: To assess the impact of regional white matter hyperintensity (WMH) volume on cognitive function in individuals with subjective cognitive decline (SCD) and investigate its relationship with amyloid burden.
Methods: A cohort study in South Korea focused on predicting progression from SCD to cognitive impairment or dementia. Demographic and clinical data were analyzed, stratified by WMH severity in SCD. Statistical comparisons were made among quartiles of WMH volume. Multiple regression analyses explored associations between regional WMH volume, standardized uptake value ratio (SUVR), and cognitive function.
Results: Examining 120 SCD patients, 78.3% had negative amyloid PET scans. Higher WMH volume quartiles correlated with older age, increased diabetes prevalence, and elevated SUVR in the precuneus and cuneus region. Higher WMH was linked to poorer processing speed and executive functions. Significant associations were found between posterior periventricular WMH volume and precuneus/cuneus SUVR values. Conversely, posterior deep WMH volume correlated with age and Framingham Score, not regional amyloid burden.
Conclusion: This study suggests that WMHs and amyloid burden independently influence cognitive function in SCD patients.
31. Performance during complex action-selection predicts dorsolateral prefrontal GABA levels in older adults.
by Geraldine Rodríguez-Nieto | Amirhossein Rassooli | Hong Li | Sima Chalavi
KU Leuven
GABA is an important neurotransmitter in the brain that allows the modulation of neural activity and sophistication of a wide range of cognitive functions, including movement and action selection. Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy (MRS) studies have consistently showed a decrease of GABA in older adults. Nonetheless, the relationship between GABA levels during cognitive performance and behavioral quality in this age group has been scarcely investigated. In this study, 20 young and 20 older adults performed an action selection task during the MRS session: GABA levels were measured from the sensoriomotor and the dorsolateral prefrontal cortices. In the action selection task individuals were requested to perform different movement patterns varying in complexity. The results showed that the behavioral performance in the difficult trials predicted the GABA levels in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex during the performance of the task (but not during baseline) in older adults. In particular, a faster performance in difficult trials of action selection was related to
higher GABA levels. These results highlight the prominent role of dlPFC GABA in the execution of complex motor patterns in older adults.