These evidence-based protocols were created by the BCAT® Research Center as part of the Better Faster Outcomes Study (Mansbach, W.E., et al 2020).  This study found that patients who participated in Working Memory Exercises (WME) were able to demonstrate improvements in both cognition and function.

Working Memory is the ability to mentally hold and manipulate information over a short period of time.  You might think of it as a cognitive “workspace” in which we temporarily store information we hear, see, or feel (tactile) in order to do something with it.  From a functional perspective, working memory is a foundational cognitive skill that allows one to successfully perform IADLs and ADLs. Reduced or impaired Working Memory means that one cannot efficiently make new memories and may be limited in performing daily life tasks.  Improvement in working memory can improve cognition and in turn, functional performance. As noted in the study, a greater proportion of WME participants than controls progressed from dependent to independent on 5 ADLs: continence, dressing, feeding, functional transfers, and toileting. Functional improvements contribute to successful aging in place and promote higher levels of independence.

Each session in the protocol contains specific targeted exercises that address underlying impairments in key cognitive domains such as memory, attention, and executive function.  When used as part of a cognitive rehabilitation program, these protocols will address underlying cognitive skills and provide evidence-based interventions that are predictive of improvements in ADL and IADL performance.

Mansbach, W. E., Mace, R. A., Tanner, M. A., Knoepfel, E., Maxwell, R., & Chew, F. (2020). Integrating working memory exercises with nursing home rehabilitation to achieve “better, faster” functional outcomes. Topics in Geriatric Rehabilitation, 36(1), 60-68. 10.1097/TGR.0000000000000256