Abstract
Background: Cognitive decline is common in the elderly. In a pilot study we test the hypothesis that learning shorthand will preserve cognitive abilities. Shorthand is a special method of writing in short cuts and consist of learning a new “language” and writing speed training.
Setting: Ambulatory healthy women from Minden, North Rhine-Westfalia, Germany, independent in all ADLs and IADLs.
Methods: We studied a group of 17 right-handed females, mean age 71.8 ± 4.9 years in 2012. A geriatric, extended neuropsychological and clinical assessment was done yearly until January 2017. Training sessions compromise 2 sessions per week in year 1 and 2 followed by 1 session in year 3 to 5. During the study 5 women (2 depression, 1 malignancy, 1 rheumatic disease, 1 move to another city) left the study.
Results: Compared to 2012 the assessments in 2016 showed significant improvements in Rey Complex Figure Test (CFM: 76.9 vs 95.1, p=0.0151, and CFQ: 66.1 vs 91.3, p=0.0018) or remained stable without any decline, e.g. MMSE (27.6 vs. 28.6, p=0.053) and others (BAS (p=0.42), SBT (p=0.83), TMT A (p=0.96) + B (p=0.36), Wechsler Memory Scale, Regensburg Word Fluency Test, Test of Attentional Performance).
Discussion: Comparing to baseline we found a stable cognitive performance in all participants over 5 years indicating that shorthand learning and training maybe beneficial for preserving cognitive abilities with aging.