Improving Prospective Memory in Persons With Parkinson Disease: A Randomized Controlled Trial
Erin R Foster1, Mark A McDaniel2, Peter G Rendell3
11 Washington University in St Louis School of Medicine, MO, USA.
Neurorehabilitation and Neural Repair
|February 9, 2017
Summary
Implementation intentions (IIs) improve prospective memory (PM) in Parkinson disease (PD). This strategy enhances PM performance, especially for event-based tasks, offering potential benefits for daily functioning in PD patients.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Neuroscience
- Neurology
- Psychology
Background:
- Prospective memory (PM) is crucial for daily independence and adherence to health behaviors.
- Parkinson disease (PD) often impairs PM, leading to functional limitations and reduced quality of life.
- Implementation intentions (IIs) are a potential strategy to mitigate PM deficits in PD.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the impact of IIs on PM performance in individuals with PD.
- To compare the effectiveness of IIs against a rehearsal (RR) strategy for PM in PD.
Main Methods:
- A randomized controlled trial was conducted with 62 participants having mild to moderate PD without dementia.
- Participants completed a computerized PM test (Virtual Week) under standard instructions.
- After one week, participants were randomized to use either IIs or RR encoding strategies for a repeated PM test.
Main Results:
- Both IIs and RR strategies improved PM performance compared to standard instructions.
- The positive effect of strategies was more pronounced for event-based PM tasks than time-based tasks.
- IIs demonstrated a greater improvement than RR for non-repeated PM tasks.
Conclusions:
- Encoding strategies that fully support PM cues and actions can enhance PM in people with PD.
- IIs may be more beneficial than RR for non-repeated tasks, requiring further validation.
- Future research should explore the real-world application of these strategies to improve PD patient function and quality of life.
