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Mental exercises for cognitive function: clinical evidence
Kawashima R.. Journal of preventive medicine and public health = Yebang Uihakhoe chi, 2013-01-30
Topic: Risk, prevention and care in population studies
The purpose of this study was to examine the beneficial effects of a new cognitive intervention program designed for the care and prevention of dementia, namely Learning Therapy. The training program used systematized basic problems in arithmetic and Japanese language as training tasks. In study 1, 16 individuals in the experimental group and 16 in the control group were recruited from a nursing home. In both groups, all individuals were clinically diagnosed with senile dementia of the Alzheimer type. In study 2, we performed a single-blind, randomized controlled trial in our cognitive intervention program of 124 community-dwelling seniors. In both studies, the daily training program using reading and arithmetic tasks was carried out approximately 5 days a week, for 15 to 20 minutes a day in the intervention groups. Neuropsychological measures were determined simultaneously in the groups both prior to and after six months of the intervention. The results of our investigations indicate that our cognitive intervention using reading and arithmetic problems demonstrated a transfer effect and they provide convincing evidence that cognitive training maintains and improves the cognitive functions of dementia patients and healthy seniors.
Key findings
- The results of our investigations indicate that our cognitive intervention using reading and arithmetic problems demonstrated a transfer effect and they provide convincing evidence that cognitive training maintains and improves the cognitive functions of dementia patients and healthy seniors.
Why it matters
Cognitive training using reading and arithmetic tasks was reported to maintain and improve cognitive function in people with Alzheimer-type dementia and in healthy seniors. The paper describes this as a transfer effect, but it is a cognitive intervention, not a cure or prevention.
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Study details
- Study designrandomized controlled trial
- Participants16
- Evidence strengthHigh
How this study scored 55/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal, and it is a randomised controlled trial. Scored zero for effect reported because the record does not state it.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (Journal of preventive medicine and public health = Yebang Uihakhoe chi) |
| Journal's citation record | 0 / 4 | Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health: journal h-index 60 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29) |
| Study design | 11 / 12 | A randomised controlled trial |
| Strength of evidence | 5 / 5 | Rated “high” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 10 / 10 | Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal. |
| How recent | 1 / 5 | 2013 — within 20 year(s) of the newest study here |
| Sample size | 1 / 4 | 16 participants |
| Effect reported | 0 / 3 | No effect size reported — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Studied in people | 3 / 3 | Studied in people (participant count stated) |
| Randomised / blinded | 2 / 2 | Randomised and blinded or placebo-controlled (as stated in the record) |
| Times cited | 4 / 7 | Cited 42 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 1 / 5 | 2.8 citations a year over 15 year(s) since 2013 |
| Impact for its field and year | 2 / 6 | Cited 1.9× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 1 / 6 | Cited by 1 other studies in this library |
| Still being cited | 0 / 4 | Cited 2 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 2 / 4 | Last-listed author Ryuta Kawashima: h-index 23 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 1 / 3 | Tohoku University: institution h-index 880 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 0 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 1 institution(s) in 1 country — scores zero (affiliation lists can be incomplete) |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 23412645) |
| Free to read | 2 / 2 | Free to read |
| Total | 55 / 100 | — |
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Read the original
- DOI: 10.3961/jpmph.2013.46.s.s22
- PubMed: 23412645
- Original source →
- Free full text: Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health →
Full text: free to read — OpenAlex lists this copy as free to read: the link above (checked 6 Feb 1020).
Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
Built from the record alzhub holds for this paper, not looked up. Volume, issue and page numbers are not held in the record. Check the citation against the original before you use it.
APA 7th
Kawashima, R. (2013). Mental exercises for cognitive function: clinical evidence. Journal of preventive medicine and public health = Yebang Uihakhoe chi. https://doi.org/10.3961/jpmph.2013.46.s.s22
Vancouver
Kawashima R. Mental exercises for cognitive function: clinical evidence. Journal of preventive medicine and public health = Yebang Uihakhoe chi. 2013. doi:10.3961/jpmph.2013.46.s.s22. PMID: 23412645.
BibTeX
@article{kawashima2013-23412645,
author = {Kawashima, R.},
title = {{Mental exercises for cognitive function: clinical evidence}},
journal = {Journal of preventive medicine and public health = Yebang Uihakhoe chi},
year = {2013},
doi = {10.3961/jpmph.2013.46.s.s22},
pmid = {23412645},
url = {https://doi.org/10.3961/jpmph.2013.46.s.s22}
}
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