The cognitive deterioration occurring in normal aging results in the alteration of brain white matter structure and neuronal connectivity. Thus, cognitive training is beneficial in enhancing the cognitive functions in elders with cognitive impairment. The diffusion tensor imaging method explores the nature of the white matter changes occurring during cognitive intervention. This study aimed to examine white matter integrity parameters in brain-related memory between elderly with cognitive

more »

... ment who received memory training and a non-trained group. Methods: Twenty participants were recruited for this study, and were assigned into experimental and control groups. The experimental group received a 36-session multimodal episodic memory training (MEMT) over a 12-week period. The magnetic resonance imaging scanned the corpus callosum, fornix, cingulum, and uncinate fasciculus, and then were analyzed using diffusion tensor imaging methods during, before, and after training. Results: After MEMT training, the white matter integrity indices all targeted brain area demonstrated no significant differences (p>0.05). However, the FA values of uncinated fasciculus areas showed the tendency to increase after training. Conclusion: This finding could indicate the resilient anatomical possibilities of white matter structural changes after training. Moreover, the DTI technique has possible benefits regarding predicting the individualized white matter alternation underlying cognitive changes in the elderly.