Effect of educational status on performance of older adults in digital cognitive tasks: A systematic review

ABSTRACT As people age, cognitive abilities may decline resulting in serious disabilities. Neuropsychological instruments can provide information on the cognitive state of older adults. Researchers worldwide have been using digital cognitive tests to assess cognitive domains. Objective: To determine whether educational status affects the performance of older adults on digital cognitive tasks. Methods: A systematic review of articles in English, Portuguese, or Spanish published in the last 5 years was conducted. The databases searched were SCOPUS, PubMed, Lilacs, Scielo and PsychInfo. The PRISMA method was used. Results: A total of 7,089 articles were initially retrieved. After search and exclusion with justification, seven articles were selected for further review. Conclusion: The findings revealed that researchers using digital tasks generally employed paper-based tests to compare results. Also, no association between years of education and test performance was found. Finally, a dearth of studies using digital tests published by Brazilian researchers was evident.