Talk your brain well: discourse training to fortify your cognitive functioning and protect against dementia
Reveiwed by Anna Volkmer

Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) can be described as a transitional stage prior to a diagnosis of dementia. Approximately 15% of people with amnestic MCI (where memory is the leading symptom) develop dementia. Nonpharmacological interventions, specifically cognitive training, has shown some promising impact on cognitive changes in the early stages of MCI. These interventions are thought to fortify cognitive reserve, thus mitigating cognitive decline. The authors of this paper describe a randomised controlled trial that aimed to study the impact of a discourse-based working memory training on MCI. Twenty people with MCI were randomised to either the intervention or a no treatment control group, for a period of 10 weeks. The treatment comprised a five-step story retell and key word practising task with 10 stories. Results demonstrated significant differences across groups pre to post intervention showing that the intervention group achieved a significant increase in information units retrieved and comprehension accuracy on treated and untreated story tasks. Given the increased risk of dementia as our population ages, discourse training tasks such as this have an important role to play in maintaining cognitive health.

Discourse-based verbal working memory training and transfer effects for individuals with an amnestic type of mild cognitive impairment.
Sung JE, Choi S, Kim GH, Jeong JH.
INT J SPEECH-LANG PATHOL
2025;27(1):81–91.