Training cognitive control in older adults with the space fortress game: the role of training instructions and basic motor ability
Open accessAbstract
This study examined if and how cognitively healthy older adults can learn to play a complex computer-based action game called the Space Fortress (SF) as a function of training instructions [Standard vs. Emphasis Change (EC); e.g., Gopher et al., 1989] and basic motor ability. A total of 35 cognitively healthy older adults completed a 3-month SF training program with three SF sessions weekly. Twelve 3-min games were played during each session. Basic motor ability was assessed with an aiming task, which required rapidly rotating a spaceship to shoot targets. Older adults showed improved performance on the SF task over time, but did not perform at the same level as younger adults. Unlike studies of younger adults, overall SF performance in older adults was greater following standard instructions than following EC instructions. However, this advantage was primarily due to collecting more bonus points and not - the primary goal of the game - shooting and destroying the fortress, which in contrast benefited from EC instructions. Basic motor ability was low and influenced many different aspects of SF game learning, often interacted with learning rate, and influenced overall SF performance. These findings show that older adults can be trained to deal with the complexity of the SF task but that overall SF performance, and the ability to capitalize on EC instructions, differs when a basic ability such as motor control is low. Hence, the development of this training program as a cognitive intervention that can potentially compensate for age-related cognitive decline should consider that basic motor ability can interact with the efficiency of training instructions that promote the use of cognitive control (e.g., EC instructions) - and the confluence between such basic abilities and higher-level cognitive control abilities should be further examined.
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Young adults who used emphasis change training performed better on real-world tasks like flight simulation or flight training.
“In addition, they showed more successful performance on real-world tasks such as flight simulator or flight training performance56, 57.”
From Cognitive reserve in ageing and Alzheimer's disease (2012) · cites this paper as [57]
The Introduction (page unavailable) reports that younger adults given emphasis-change instructions performed better at the Space Fortress game than those given standard instructions. It does not report better flight-simulator or flight-training performance. The General Discussion (page unavailable) says future studies will determine whether game learning transfers to real-world activities. (LLM, conf=0.84)
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredIn young adults, a specific training method greatly improved game performance and transferred to other tasks.
“In research with young adults, one particular training approach produced excellent improvement in gameplay, but, more importantly, also showed transfer of training to other tasks.”
From Cognitive reserve in ageing and Alzheimer's disease (2012) · cites this paper as [57]
The Introduction (‘The space fortress game and emphasis change instructions’; page unavailable) reports that emphasis-change instructions improved Space Fortress performance in younger adults compared with standard instructions. It says those instructions *may* be important for transfer, but does not report that this approach demonstrated transfer to other tasks. The General Discussion (page unavailable) says future studies will determine whether such transfer occurs. (LLM, conf=0.86)
Experimental — accuracy not yet measured
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- Authors
- Blumen, H.
- Affiliations
- Columbia University (US)
- Corresponding author
- Blumen, Helena
- ORCID
- Blumen, Helena
- Venue
- Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience
- Publisher
- Frontiers Media SA
- Published
- 2010
- Volume
- 2
- Pages
- 145-145
- ISSN
- 1663-4365 (ISSN-L)
- PMC
- PMC2991174
- OpenAlex
- W2114897600
- Cited by
- 30
- References
- 36
- Citations by year
- 2026: 1 · 2025: 2 · 2023: 2 · 2022: 1 · 2021: 1 · 2019: 2 · 2018: 2 · 2017: 5 · 2016: 1 · 2015: 4 · 2014: 2 · 2013: 2 · 2012: 3
- FWCI
- 2.93
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- gold
- doi.org
- Licence
- cc-by
- Locations
- Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- PubMed Central (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion)
- Columbia Academic Commons (Columbia University)
- Funders
- National Institute of Mental Health (T32MH020004)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Cognitive Abilities and Testing
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Cognitive Functions and Memory
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Neural and Behavioral Psychology Studies
- Keywords
- cognitive control, older adults, training instructions, basic motor skills, action video games, cognitive training, age-related cognitive decline, game-based learning, motor control, learning rate
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