Computer-assisted spaced retrieval training of faces and names for persons with dementia
This study was designed to investigate the feasibility and document the outcomes of computer-assisted spaced retrieval training (SRT) for persons with dementia. Twenty three participants with mild to moderate dementia participated in computer-assisted SRT for learning novel and familiar face-name associations. Study results reveal that computer-assisted SRT is feasible for persons with dementia and yielded positive treatment outcomes for a majority of participants. Specifically, twenty participants were successful in recalling face-name associations and related factual information over a 32-minute, within-session time interval. Nineteen of these twenty participants maintained this new learning for 6 weeks after the intervention ceased. These data add to the growing empirical evidence on the benefits of spaced retrieval for persons with dementia. Further, study findings extend the existing research on the outcomes of SRT by demonstrating feasibility and robust outcomes with use of a laptop computer as a medium for training. © 2012 by Nova Science Publishers, Inc. All rights reserved.
