Vital Mind (VM)
Cognitive decline in ageing people can often be accompanied by mental, physical and social hardship. Cognitive training and in particular computer-based training of executive functioning, memory and speed of processing is associated with prolonging personal autonomy in various life domains. However, many among the elderly are not computer literate, and face other barriers to gaining the potential benefits from the growing number of computer programs designed to train cognition.
This project will use cognitive psychology, the digital television medium and advanced interactive Information Computer Technology (ICT) to enable older adults to actively and autonomously participate in personalised mind-fitness activities in front of their TV set. Beyond merely evaluating the system with older users, the question of whether cognitive training will prove more beneficial if trained in de-contextualized or contextualized settings will be addressed, as will the potential beneficial impact of physical fitness training (also included in the system). This home-based tool would be inexpensive and easy to use for healthy or handicapped older individuals.
Funder: EU
Start Date: 01/01/2008
End Date: 30/06/2010
For further information about the Vital Mind (VM) project please contact Dr Alex Carmichael.
Or visit the website at: http://www.vitalmind-project.eu/