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Updated: Aug 31, 2025

Examining the Characteristics of Episodic Memory using Event-related Potentials in Patients with Alzheimer's Disease
Published on: August 30, 2011
"Remember to take your medication": Prospective memory in Korsakoff's syndrome
Mohamad El Haj1,2,3, Ahmed A Moustafa4,5, Frédérique Robin1
1Laboratoire de Psychologie des Pays de la Loire (LPPL - EA 4638), Nantes Université, Univ Angers, Nantes, France.
Background:
While event-based prospective memory refers to enacting intending action in response to a specific event or cue ("e.g., When I tell you there are 10 minutes left, please give me this stopwatch"), time-based prospective memory refers to enacting intending action in relation to a specific time ("In 10 minutes time, please ask me for a pencil"). Relative to event-based prospective memory, little is known about time-based prospective memory in Korsakoff's syndrome (KS).
Method:
We used behavioral tasks to investigate event- and time-based prospective memory as well as episodic memory and executive function in patients with KS and control participants.
Results:
Analysis demonstrated lower event- and time-based prospective memory in patients with KS than in control participants. Interestingly, we found lower time-based than event-based prospective memory in patients with KS. Further, significant correlations were observed between prospective memory and episodic memory and executive function in the patients.
Conclusions:
Prospective memory is important for everyday life tasks, and failures of prospective memory can endanger patients' safety. One clinical implication of our findings is the importance of including an evaluation of prospective memory in cognitive evaluation of KS.
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