Elderly people can suffer some degree of decline in their cognitive capacities, usually including different symptoms (decreased problem solving capacity, decreased ability to reason and to maintain focus, forgetfulness, etc.). Cognitive stimulation has been shown to decrease the rate of intellectual decay and potentially reverse age-related cognitive decline. Serious games provide new training opportunities to improve the decrease in selected social, sensory-motor, cognitive and emotional functions of elderly people. This paper details the objectives of the VIRTRA-EL web platform, which has been designed to evaluate and train cognitive skills to elderly users by means of serious games using the personal computer or tablet devices. Additionally, we present a serious game based on interactive 3D environments, which has been designed with the aim of helping to train memory, attention, planning and reasoning.

Background: Computer-based cognitive stimulation applications can help the elderly maintain and improve their cognitive skills. In this research paper, our objectives are to verify the usability of PESCO (an open-software application for cognitive evaluation and stimulation) and to determine the concurrent validity of cognitive assessment tests and the effectiveness of PESCO’s cognitive stimulation exercises. Methods: Two studies were conducted in various community computer centers in the province of Granada. The first study tested tool usability by observing 43 elderly people and considering their responses to a questionnaire. In the second study, 36 elderly people completed pen-and-paper and PESCO tests followed by nine cognitive stimulation sessions. Meanwhile, a control group with 34 participants used computers for nine non-structured sessions. Results: Analysis of the first study revealed that although PESCO had been developed by taking usability guidelines into account, there was room for improvement. Results from the second study indicated moderate concurrent validity between PESCO and standardized tests (Pearson’s r from .501 to .702) and highlighted the effectiveness of training exercises for improving attention (F = -4.111, p < .001) and planning (F = 5.791, p < .001) functions. Conclusions: PESCO can be used by the elderly. The PESCO cognitive test module demonstrated its concurrent validity with traditional cognitive evaluation tests. The stimulation module is effective for improving attention and planning skills.

OBJECTIVE: To generate normative data for the phonological and semantic verbal fluency tests (VFT) in Spanish-speaking pediatric populations. METHOD: The sample consisted of 4,373 healthy children from nine countries in Latin America (Chile, Cuba, Ec

The prevalence of people over 60 years of age with cognitive impairment has increased in recent decades. As a consequence, numerous computerized cognitive trainings (CCT) have been developed. This pilot study aimed to determine the effectiveness of the CCT with VIRTRAEL in improving older adults’ cognition. Fifty-five participants ($\overline{\mathrm{x}}$ = 72.7 years; SD = 6.5) underwent CCT, and twenty participants ($\overline{\mathrm{x}}$ = 76.1 years; SD = 7.6) received face-to-face cognitive stimulation with a paper-and-pencil methodology. Both trainings were conducted in nine sessions (45–60 min each). Participants completed a pre-post training neuropsychological assessment. ANCOVAs and the standardized clinical change were performed. VIRTRAEL’s group showed a significant and greater improvement in verbal learning (p < 0.006) and delayed recall (p ≤ 0.001), working memory (p < 0.005), abstract (p < 0.002) and semantic reasoning (p < 0.015), and planning (p < 0.021). Additionally, more large clinical changes (d > 0.8) were found in the VIRTRAEL condition (in verbal learning and delayed free and cued recall) than in the standard group. Here we show that the CCT with VIRTRAEL is effective in improving cognitive function in older adults and is superior to the standard format. These preliminary findings indicate that CCT is a useful tool potentially applicable in the fight against cognitive symptomatology associated with aging and neurodegenerative diseases. VIRTRAEL represents a breakthrough in this field as it is inexpensive and easily accessible to any older person, regardless of whether they live far from health care resources.

OBJECTIVE: To generate normative data for the Stroop Word-Color Interference test in Spanish-speaking pediatric populations. METHOD: The sample consisted of 4,373 healthy children from nine countries in Latin America (Chile, Cuba, Ecuador, Guatemala,