The Effectiveness of Rehabilitation of Cognitive-Metacognitive Strategies on Dorsolateral Frontal Lobe Functions in Elderly

Abstract

Cognitive change as a normal process of aging has been well documented in the scientific literature. Some cognitive abilities, such as reasoning, memory, and processing speed, gradually decline over time. The present study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of rehabilitation of cognitive-metacognitive strategies on the functions of the dorsolateral frontal lobe in elderly. it was a quasi-experimental study with pretest and posttest with control group. The statistical population of the study included all elderly men living in Bukan nursing homes in 2019. Among these people, 30 elderlies (two groups of 15) were selected through convenience sampling method and based on inclusion criteria. They were randomly assigned into experimental and control groups. The required data were collected using Stroop and continuous performance tests. The data obtained were analyzed using Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA) with respect to its assumptions. The findings showed that rehabilitation of cognitive-metacognitive strategies had a significant and positive effect on the functions of the dorsolateral frontal lobe (P<0.001). The results of this study also reported that rehabilitation method of cognitive-metacognitive strategies can improve dorsolateral frontal lobe functions, including information processing speed and sustained attention and it is suggested that rehabilitation method of cognitive-metacognitive strategies be used to improve and enhance the cognitive functions of the elderly.

Keywords

• cognition and metacognition
• dorsolateral frontal lobe
• elderly