Harvesting features of an affordable cognitive gym for seniors

First, this paper conducts a minireview of rehabilitation research in pursuance of concepts reusable in a cognitive gym. Second, it presents the discovered ideas and components as a framework for a preliminary cognitive gym for seniors. The cognitive gym offers an affordable, flexible, and safe training environment for seniors. This facility promotes systematic training of the concerted efforts of cognitive and motor skills.

The longer life expectancy indicates an increase in the number of seniors. A cognitive gym constitutes a potential facility in senior residences, residential care buildings, and private homes. A multimodal training environment supports the seniors to preserve functionalities required for everyday life activities. This improves their quality of life and helps them remain autonomous.

Adaptable, individualized training programs consist of visual, auditory and motor elements. The exerciser encounters visual and auditory stimuli and distractors to which she responds by clicking a response button, by pointing at a certain object or by presenting a more complex motor pattern. The game-like character of the training motivates the person to exercise regularly and persistently.