Article

In an earlier paper we described a structured, theory-driven training programme
which was administered to 10 individuals with moderate-to-severe memory
impairment. All individuals received an errorless-fading-of-cues protocol in the
use of personal digital assistants (PDAs) or smartphones (Svoboda, Richards,
Leach, & Mertens, 2012) and demonstrated generalisation of acquired skills to
day-to-day memory challenges. Maintenance of intervention gains over the
long-term is another indicator of successful generalisation. Here we present the
maintenance of device use in the same group of individuals 12 to 19 months after
programme completion. A within-subject, ABABB multi-case experimental design was
used to evaluate the impact of PDA or smartphone use on day-to-day memory
functioning at baseline, immediately post-intervention, at return to baseline,
and at short-term and long-term follow-up. Results presented here focus
predominantly on long-term follow-up. All 10 individuals showed maintenance of
gains in day-to-day functioning as quantified across several ecologically valid
questionnaire and task-based measures. This was corroborated by family members
with whom six of the participants resided. This study further demonstrates the
programme's clinical effectiveness in enabling individuals with
moderate-to-severe memory impairment to function more independently and with
greater confidence up to 19 months following programme completion.

Langue : ANGLAIS