What is memory training, and how is it different from mental exercise or cognitive stimulation, in general?
Memory training is a specific cognitive rehabilitative intervention aimed at strengthening the connections of existing neural pathways as well as developing new ones, in order to enhance the individual’s capacity for receiving, processing, encoding and storing new information. These processes which are components of successful memory functioning are specifically targeted in memory training sessions. In a recent study, conducted by the Fisher Center for Alzheimer’s Research Foundation, one group of study participants was given general mental stimulation exercises, such as crossword puzzles and word games, while another was given memory training sessions during which they were taught strategies for remembering names, encouraged to keep memory journals, and other exercises specific to memory functioning. The memory training group showed a 170% improvement in their ability to recall names and faces compared with those who received general mental stimulation exercises. The memory training (
