think pad?

For older adults, learning to use a tablet computer could improve their memory, and help them complete tasks faster, a new study suggests.

These skills can enhance everyday life and help older adults achieve greater independence, the researchers said.

The study included 54 older adults, ages 60 to 90, who were computer novices; they participated for 15 hours per week for three months. Among the participants, 18 received extensive training on an iPad tablet, and learned a broad range of applications. Researchers compared the iPad group against two control groups, including a placebo group that engaged in tasks that required little new learning, and a social group, in which people had regular interaction with others but didn't learn a new skill.

Compared with both control groups, participants in the iPad group showed greater improvements in how fast they could think, and in their episodic memory, which is the recollection of events and experiences that occurred at a particular time and place.