Psychology Colloquium - Art Kramer, Presenter

Enhancing Cognitive & Brain Function of Older Adults

Arthur F. Kramer
Beckman Institute and
Department of Psychology
University of Illinois
   
The presentation will provide a brief but critical review of the literature on the relationship of cognitive training, intellectual engagement, and fitness training on cognition and brain function of older adults.  In the presentation I will contrast the effects of cognitive and fitness training with regard to the breadth of their effects on cognition and dementia. The presentation will include a description of  the results of a recent meta-analysis, that included longitudinal fitness studies conducted over the past thirty five years, that we conducted to examine the methodological and theoretical factors which influence the fitness-cognition relationship.   This analysis revealed robust benefits of fitness training on neurocognitive function.  I will also describe the results of recent and on-going cross-sectional and longitudinal studies in which we are examining changes in cognition and brain function, as indexed by functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and event-related brain potentials, with fitness and cognitive training interventions.  Finally, I'll conclude by describing issues for future research as well as potential applications of what we have already learned - as well as what we still need to learn.