Wearable cameras have been shown to improve memory in people with hippocampal amnesia and Alzheimer's disease. It is not known whether this benefit extends to people with amnesia of complex or uncertain origin.

This case study examined the effect of wearable camera use on memory and occupational performance in a patient with memory loss and complex mental health problems following a severe neurological incident. With the help of his occupational therapist (OT), Mr A used a wearable camera to record a series of eight personally significant events over a 6-week period. During visits from his OT, Mr A was asked to report what he could remember about the events, both before (baseline) and during the review of time-lapsed photographs captured automatically by the camera.

The results showed striking improvements in recall while reviewing the photographs, relative to baseline recall, but the additional details recalled during review did not appear to be maintained at later tests, after several days. Across the study period, there were moderate increases in occupational performance, measured using the Canadian Occupational Performance Measure. However, after the study period ended, Mr A ceased to use the wearable camera due to technological difficulty.

There was a clear benefit of wearable camera use, but the real-world impact of the technology was limited by the complexity of the system. The results of the study are discussed alongside novel clinical insights and suggestions for developing wearable camera support systems that can be used independently by people with memory problems.

Accumulating evidence suggests that wakeful rest (a period of minimal cognitive stimulation) enhances memory in clinical populations with memory impairment. However, no study has previously examined the efficacy of this technique in stroke survivors, despite the high prevalence of post-stroke memory difficulties. We aimed to investigate whether wakeful rest enhances verbal memory in stroke survivors and healthy controls.

Twenty-four stroke survivors and 24 healthy controls were presented with two short stories; one story was followed by a 10-minute period of wakeful rest and the other was followed by a 10-minute visual interference task. A mixed factorial analysis of variance (ANOVA) with pairwise comparisons was used to compare participants’ story retention at two time points.

After 15–30 minutes, stroke survivors (p = .002, d = .73), and healthy controls (p = .001, d = .76) retained more information from the story followed by wakeful rest, compared with the story followed by an interference task. While wakeful rest remained the superior condition in healthy controls after 7 days (p = .01, d = .58), the beneficial effect was not maintained in stroke survivors (p = .35, d = .19).

Wakeful rest is a promising technique, which significantly enhanced verbal memory after 15–30 minutes in both groups; however, no significant benefit of wakeful rest was observed after 7 days in stroke survivors. Preliminary findings suggest that wakeful rest enhances early memory consolidation processes by protecting against the effects of interference after learning in stroke survivors.

The uptake of smartphones as external compensatory memory aids following an acquired brain injury (ABI) in rehabilitation settings is low. Potential reasons for this include professionals not having evidence-based guidelines regarding the best methods to train smartphone use and prospective users not being familiar with technology and/or having memory and learning difficulties. This paper describes the protocol of a study that aims to compare the efficacy of three training methods (Systematic Instruction, Error-based Learning and Trial-and-Error) for training the use of a smartphone reminder app, in people with ABI presenting with memory complaints.

This is a three-armed, assessor-blinded, Phase II randomised controlled trial. The estimated sample size is 51 participants aged >18 years, who are equally randomised to one of the three training groups. They are seen across four sessions: one to conduct baseline measures; one for training the use of an app and two for follow-up assessments (1- and 6-weeks post-training). The main outcome measure is proficiency of performance in tasks with the trained app. Secondary outcomes include generalisation of skills to other apps, number of errors committed while attempting the tasks, frequency of smartphone usage in general and as a memory aid and confidence in smartphone use and memory self-efficacy. Outcome measures are collected by an independent blinded assessor. Proficiency of performance, generalisation of skills and error commission are measured immediately post-training and at the two follow-up sessions. The other secondary measures are taken pre-intervention and at the two follow-up sessions.

This study will provide initial evidence regarding the efficacy of three different methods to train ABI survivors with memory difficulties in how to use smartphone apps as compensatory memory aids. The results could inform a larger Phase III trial and advance knowledge concerning the advantages or disadvantages of using error-reducing and trial-and-error techniques. Further, the findings could determine the potential of error-based learning as an emerging training method for people with memory impairment within rehabilitation.

With the rapid growth of the older population worldwide, understanding how older adults with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) use memory strategies to mitigate cognitive decline is important. This study investigates differences between amnestic and nonamnestic MCI subtypes in memory strategy use in daily life, and how factors associated with cognition, general health, and psychological well-being might relate to strategy use.

One hundred forty-eight participants with MCI (mean age = 67.9 years, SD = 8.9) completed comprehensive neuropsychological, medical, and psychological assessments, and the self-report ‘Memory Compensation Questionnaire’. Correlational and linear regression analyses were used to explore relationships between memory strategy use and cognition, general health, and psychological well-being.

Memory strategy use does not differ between MCI subtypes (p > .007) despite higher subjective everyday memory complaints in those with amnestic MCI (p = .03). The most marked finding showed that increased reliance-type strategy use was significantly correlated with more subjective memory complaints and poorer verbal learning and memory (p < .01) in individuals with MCI. Moreover, fewer subjective memory complaints and better working memory significantly predicted (p < .05) less reliance strategy use, respectively, accounting for 10.6% and 5.3% of the variance in the model.

In general, the type of strategy use in older adults with MCI is related to cognitive functioning. By examining an individual’s profile of cognitive dysfunction, a clinician can provide more personalized clinical recommendations regarding strategy use to individuals with MCI, with the aim of maintaining their day-to-day functioning and self-efficacy in daily life.