Background. Cognitive functions are important for daily life at any age. One purpose of Smart Ageing is to investigate how to improve cognitive functions. This systematic review evaluates beneficial effects of the intervention on cognitive functions. Method. We conducted a systematic review of intervention studies of improvements of cognitive functions published or in press before December 2013. Because of the heterogeneity of the intervention programs, a systematic and critical review of the interventions and outcomes was conducted instead of a meta-analysis. Results. We identified nine completed and published studies, which were divided into four categories: cognitive training using video game, cognitive training using PC, cognitive training using paper and pencil, and exercise training. Review results showed that various intervention programs can improve cognitive functions such as executive functions, working memory, episodic memory, processing speed, and general cognitive ability/IQ. Conclusions. The systematic review demonstrated that some intervention programs can be effective for improving various aspects of cognitive functioning at any age. Some limitations to this review include its small sample size and heterogeneity of programs and cognitive function measures, in addition to unresolved issues such as transfer of everyday skills and effectiveness for nonhealthy people. 1. Background Cognitive function includes a variety of mental processes such as perception, attention, memory, decision making, and language comprehension. Cognitive function serves a critical role in everyday behavior and social behavior. For instance, when one goes shopping, it is necessary to memorize information about what to buy, how to make a proper judgment to buy, and how to have a conversation with shop assistants. Considering communication with a friend, we identify the friend by looking at faces or hearing a voice and sharing information with the friend. Our cognitive functions change during our lifetimes [1–4]. Cognitive functions improve from childhood to young adulthood. Some cognitive functions such as executive functions and working memory reach a peak during 20s or 30s [5]. However, semantic knowledge (semantic memory) develops to the age of 60 or 70 [6]. An elderly person might experience a decline of several cognitive functions, including memory [3, 7], attention [8], executive functions [9, 10], and processing speed [11]. Previous studies have demonstrated that higher cognitive functions in children and young adults are positively correlated with higher
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