The Development of a Pilot App Targeting Short-Term and Prospective Memory in People Diagnosed with Dementia
Background: According to the World Health Organization, people suffering from dementia exhibit a serious decline in various cognitive domains and especially in memory. Aims: This study aims to create a pilot computer app to enhance short-term memory and prospective memory in individuals with dementi...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2023-09-01
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| Series: | Behavioral Sciences |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-328X/13/9/752 |
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| author | Vicky Nanousi Konstantina Kalogeraki Aikaterini Smyrnaiou Manila Tola Foteini Bokari Voula Chris Georgopoulos |
| author_facet | Vicky Nanousi Konstantina Kalogeraki Aikaterini Smyrnaiou Manila Tola Foteini Bokari Voula Chris Georgopoulos |
| author_sort | Vicky Nanousi |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Background: According to the World Health Organization, people suffering from dementia exhibit a serious decline in various cognitive domains and especially in memory. Aims: This study aims to create a pilot computer app to enhance short-term memory and prospective memory in individuals with dementia using errorless learning based on their individualized needs. Methods: Fifteen dementia patients and matched controls, matched for age, sex, and education, were selected. Their daily routines were analyzed, and cognitive abilities were assessed using the MoCA test. Considering the participants’ illness severity and daily needs, the pilot app was designed to aid in remembering daily tasks (taking medication and meals), object locations, and familiar faces and names. Results: An improvement in patients’ short-term and prospective memory throughout the training sessions, but not in overall cognitive functioning was observed. A statistically significant difference between patients and healthy controls was indicated in their ability to retain information relevant to them in their short-term memory, or to remember to act in the future following schedules organized at present (<i>p</i> < 0.001). Conclusion: This app appears beneficial for training dementia patients and healthy individuals in addressing memory challenges. Recommendation: While the pilot app showed promise, further research with larger samples is recommended. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T23:02:28Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-6c2c43da24454a20946351e74b32651e |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2076-328X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T23:02:28Z |
| publishDate | 2023-09-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Behavioral Sciences |
| spelling | doaj.art-6c2c43da24454a20946351e74b32651e2023-11-19T09:35:17ZengMDPI AGBehavioral Sciences2076-328X2023-09-0113975210.3390/bs13090752The Development of a Pilot App Targeting Short-Term and Prospective Memory in People Diagnosed with DementiaVicky Nanousi0Konstantina Kalogeraki1Aikaterini Smyrnaiou2Manila Tola3Foteini Bokari4Voula Chris Georgopoulos5Department of Speech and Language Therapy, School of Health Rehabilitation Sciences, University of Patras, 26504 Patras, GreeceDepartment of Speech and Language Therapy, School of Health Rehabilitation Sciences, University of Patras, 26504 Patras, GreeceDepartment of Speech and Language Therapy, School of Health Rehabilitation Sciences, University of Patras, 26504 Patras, GreeceDepartment of Speech and Language Therapy, School of Health Rehabilitation Sciences, University of Patras, 26504 Patras, GreeceDepartment of Speech and Language Therapy, School of Health Rehabilitation Sciences, University of Patras, 26504 Patras, GreeceDepartment of Speech and Language Therapy, School of Health Rehabilitation Sciences, University of Patras, 26504 Patras, GreeceBackground: According to the World Health Organization, people suffering from dementia exhibit a serious decline in various cognitive domains and especially in memory. Aims: This study aims to create a pilot computer app to enhance short-term memory and prospective memory in individuals with dementia using errorless learning based on their individualized needs. Methods: Fifteen dementia patients and matched controls, matched for age, sex, and education, were selected. Their daily routines were analyzed, and cognitive abilities were assessed using the MoCA test. Considering the participants’ illness severity and daily needs, the pilot app was designed to aid in remembering daily tasks (taking medication and meals), object locations, and familiar faces and names. Results: An improvement in patients’ short-term and prospective memory throughout the training sessions, but not in overall cognitive functioning was observed. A statistically significant difference between patients and healthy controls was indicated in their ability to retain information relevant to them in their short-term memory, or to remember to act in the future following schedules organized at present (<i>p</i> < 0.001). Conclusion: This app appears beneficial for training dementia patients and healthy individuals in addressing memory challenges. Recommendation: While the pilot app showed promise, further research with larger samples is recommended.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-328X/13/9/752dementiashort-term memoryprospective memoryrehabilitation of dementiatechnological devicesapps |
| spellingShingle | Vicky Nanousi Konstantina Kalogeraki Aikaterini Smyrnaiou Manila Tola Foteini Bokari Voula Chris Georgopoulos The Development of a Pilot App Targeting Short-Term and Prospective Memory in People Diagnosed with Dementia Behavioral Sciences dementia short-term memory prospective memory rehabilitation of dementia technological devices apps |
| title | The Development of a Pilot App Targeting Short-Term and Prospective Memory in People Diagnosed with Dementia |
| title_full | The Development of a Pilot App Targeting Short-Term and Prospective Memory in People Diagnosed with Dementia |
| title_fullStr | The Development of a Pilot App Targeting Short-Term and Prospective Memory in People Diagnosed with Dementia |
| title_full_unstemmed | The Development of a Pilot App Targeting Short-Term and Prospective Memory in People Diagnosed with Dementia |
| title_short | The Development of a Pilot App Targeting Short-Term and Prospective Memory in People Diagnosed with Dementia |
| title_sort | development of a pilot app targeting short term and prospective memory in people diagnosed with dementia |
| topic | dementia short-term memory prospective memory rehabilitation of dementia technological devices apps |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-328X/13/9/752 |
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