Working and ageing - Cedefop - Europa
Working and ageing - Cedefop - Europa
Working and ageing - Cedefop - Europa
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<strong>Working</strong> <strong>and</strong> <strong>ageing</strong><br />
Guidance <strong>and</strong> counselling for mature learners<br />
ʻcognitive reserve hypothesisʼ (Stern, 2009), which maintains that active<br />
participation <strong>and</strong> lifelong learning creates an increased cognitive ʻreservoirʼ<br />
across the life span <strong>and</strong> reduces the impact of age on cognition. More<br />
specifically, active involvement in activities that improve cognition such as,<br />
learning new tasks in the workplace, increase cognitive training, which in turn,<br />
improves brain activity <strong>and</strong> acts as a preventive mechanism to cognitive<br />
deterioration. It is not clear whether this effect is independent of premorbid<br />
intelligence. Perhaps individuals with higher cognitive ability engage in more<br />
stimulating activities throughout their life spans, have more challenging jobs,<br />
<strong>and</strong> pursue more active lifestyles.<br />
There are only a few carefully controlled studies on cognitive training in<br />
older adults <strong>and</strong> most assess individuals over the age of 60. The long-lasting<br />
memories project is one, funded by the European Commission (Directorate-<br />
General Information, Society <strong>and</strong> Media) which aims to explore cognitive <strong>and</strong><br />
physical <strong>ageing</strong> in the elderly using an ICT platform. The platform offers endusers<br />
cognitive training combined with physical activity in the framework of an<br />
advanced ambient-assisted living environment, in five different countries<br />
(Greece, Spain, France, Austria <strong>and</strong> the UK). The main objective is to provide<br />
older people with a user-friendly service to improve their cognitive <strong>and</strong> physical<br />
performances <strong>and</strong> consequently their quality of life, to prolong their<br />
independence <strong>and</strong> contribution to society. Publication of results of the doubleblinded<br />
controlled studies is planned for the end of 2011 <strong>and</strong> beginning of<br />
2012 (http://www.longlastingmemories.eu/).<br />
5.8. Conclusions<br />
Results of empirical research on cognitive <strong>ageing</strong> <strong>and</strong> job-related performance<br />
in healthy individuals provide substantial insight into determinants of<br />
successful <strong>ageing</strong> <strong>and</strong> beneficial effects of lifelong learning. Several<br />
conclusions can be drawn from this analysis:<br />
(a) cognitive <strong>ageing</strong> is a gradual process, part of normal development, that<br />
begins in early adulthood <strong>and</strong> involves cognitive change. Several brain<br />
areas have the ability to reorganise <strong>and</strong> respond to age-related changes,<br />
which may or may not be accompanied by behavioral changes in<br />
cognition;<br />
(b) there is great heterogeneity in cognitive <strong>ageing</strong> but most studies agree<br />
that there is a plateau in cognitive abilities in middle adulthood <strong>and</strong> a<br />
decline in older age. Indeed, most cognitive abilities remain unchanged