Review of interventions for visual working memory in healthy older adults
This review reports that cognitive training improves trained and closely related tasks, while lasting transfer remains limited; brain stimulation shows promising neurophysiological effects but mixed behavioral results. Combining approaches may help selected aspects, and placebo/nocebo effects are proposed as a hypothesis for future study. [1]
Automatic summary · not editorially reviewed
The key findings
The review says visual working memory undergoes age-related decline affecting storage capacity, representational precision, feature binding and inhibitory control, with consequences for everyday functioning. [1]
Process-based cognitive training produced improvements on trained and closely related tasks, whereas evidence for durable far-transfer remained limited. [1]
The review proposes placebo and nocebo effects as a theoretically grounded hypothesis warranting empirical investigation, rather than as confounds. [1]
The source at a glance
- Study type / format
- Review (abstract only)
- Population / context
- Healthy older adults, as described in the review abstract.
- Summary based on
- Study abstract
- Original publication
- September 16, 2026
Age-related visual working memory decline in healthy older adults
The review addresses visual working memory, which it says undergoes age-related decline in storage capacity, precision of representations, feature binding and inhibitory control, with consequences for everyday functioning. It states that accumulating evidence indicates the aging brain retains substantial plasticity, which the authors frame as an opportunity for intervention. The review covers healthy older adults and synthesizes approaches to improving visual working memory.
Supporting source [1]
Training, brain stimulation and combined protocols in the review
The reviewed approaches include classic and game-based cognitive training, non-invasive brain stimulation (NIBS) and multimodal protocols combining cognitive training with physical exercise or brain stimulation. Process-based cognitive training produced improvements on trained and closely related tasks, but evidence for durable far-transfer remained limited. NIBS showed promising neurophysiological effects, particularly when targeting frontoparietal networks, while behavioral outcomes were heterogeneous and appeared to depend on stimulation parameters and individual characteristics. Emerging findings suggest combining interventions may enhance selected aspects of visual working memory, and the review stresses personalized approaches.
Supporting source [1]
Modest, task-specific effects and a proposed placebo hypothesis
The review notes that intervention effects are often modest, task-specific and resource-intensive. As a complementary approach, it proposes placebo and nocebo effects as a theoretically grounded hypothesis that warrants empirical investigation, potentially to complement existing interventions and promote healthy cognitive aging rather than being treated as confounds. This is a proposal for future research, not a validated intervention.
Supporting source [1]
How to interpret this
This is an abstract of a review; the full text was not reviewed. The abstract reports no sample sizes, study designs, follow-up durations or effect sizes for the reviewed interventions, and the placebo/nocebo idea is explicitly a proposal for future research, not a tested or validated intervention.
Based on the study abstract; the full paper, tables and supplementary data were not reviewed.
Source & supporting passages
Tronelli V, Barbon A, Mazza V. · europepmc.org · September 16, 2026