Cognitive and neural mechanisms of learning and interventions for improvement across the adult lifespan: A systematic review.
Level 1 - systematic review of randomized trials
Systematic review of cognitive, neural, and intervention studies across the adult lifespan.
PubMed 40651682 · doi:10.1016/j.neubiorev.2025.106281
What was done
Authors systematically reviewed Scopus, Web of Science, and ProQuest for published and unpublished studies on cognitive and brain mechanisms of learning, as well as learning-improvement interventions, across healthy adulthood. Risk of bias was evaluated using the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool or Critical Appraisal Skills Programme checklist. Three reviewers conducted screening, synthesizing 265 studies narratively alongside an effect direction plot for intervention studies.
What was found
The abstract reports no numerical estimates or statistical values. It reports an overall decline in learning-related cognitive and neural measures during healthy aging. Fluid abilities and explicit learning and memory showed more pronounced declines, whereas crystallized abilities and implicit learning and memory demonstrated relative stability. Higher education and socioeconomic status positively modulated learning trajectories, and baseline cognitive function influenced the effectiveness of interventions.
Why it matters
This review differentiates resilient from vulnerable learning domains in healthy adult aging, identifying baseline cognitive status and socioeconomic factors as key moderators for learning interventions.
Limits
The abstract provides no quantitative effect sizes or pooled estimates. Included primary studies were predominantly lab-based cross-sectional designs rather than longitudinal studies. The review was restricted to healthy adults and had a low representation of non-Western populations.
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