Nearly half of people aged 60 and over are concerned about declining mental abilities, according to the researchers. When brain aptitude begins to slip, this often means the need for nursing home or assisted care. So researchers wanted to see if putting the brain through regular workouts can help maintain the mind and potentially help the elderly live more independently. Their study is published in the Nov. 13 issue of The Journal of the American Medical Association.

Close to 3,000 seniors aged 65 to 94 were divided into four groups -- memory training in which people were taught tools to help them remember things such as lists and stories; reasoning training to increase the ability to solve problems; speed-of-processing training focusing on visual and identifying skills; and a fourth comparison group that received no training on mental abilities.

Over a two-year period, the researchers evaluated everyday problem-solving skills (medications labels, charts, forms); how long it took to perform certain tasks (looking up a phone number, find food items on a crowded grocery shelf, etc.); and any driving difficulties.

Study leader Karlene Ball, PhD, and colleagues found that the seniors who participated in one of three training sessions were more adept at retaining information than the comparison group that received no training. People who received a 'booster' dose of training 11 months after the initial session were able to hold onto the information for at least two years.

But the researchers were not able to detect any improvement in overall daily functioning. This may be due to the minimal decline seen in all participants and may require a longer study to determine the real effect on everyday life.

SOURCE: The Journal of the American Medical Association, Nov. 13, 2002.© 2002 Web MD Inc. All rights reserved.