2026/06/05 by Rudy Purkart, Gloria Leblond-Baccichet, Gloria Leblond‐Baccichet +3
Medicine · Neuroscience · Psychology · #Cognitive Abilities and Testing #Dementia and Cognitive Impairment Research #Memory Processes and Influences
paper · doi:10.1080/09658211.2026.2672008
openalex publication_date 2026/06/05 · openalex created_date 2026/06/06 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/29
Previous studies have shown that a brief technique, Episodic Specificity Induction (ESI), can temporarily enhance episodic retrieval and facilitate transfer to complex tasks that rely on this process in older adults. In this randomised controlled trial, we examined whether the SPECTRA program – a memory training programme involving repeated practice of the ESI technique – would improve episodic retrieval and facilitate transfer to complex tasks that rely on this process. Fifty-one healthy older adults participated in one of two six-session interventions: the SPECTRA program or an active control programme involving the recall of word-picture pairs (the ASSO program). We assessed nearest-transfer effects using free recall, near-transfer effects using recognition, and far-transfer effects using means-ends problem solving at baseline and post-intervention. Mixed-effects analyses indicated that only participants in the SPECTRA program demonstrated pre-to post-intervention improvements in free recall (nearest transfer), spatial recognition (near transfer), and social problem solving (far transfer). These findings suggest that an intervention based on the ESI technique can produce both near-transfer and far-transfer effects, supporting its potential as an approach to improve episodic retrieval and impact complex cognitive tasks that rely on episodic retrieval.Public Significance Statement This study tested the effect of a new memory training programme to facilitate memory retrieval. The programme improved memory performance in older adults, and its benefits generalised to social problem-solving abilities. Because social problem-solving was not directly trained, these results indicate transfer, highlighting the programme's potential for cognitive training interventions targeting older adults' cognitive health.Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT06110234.