[Group memory therapy in neurologic amnesia]

The aim of our approach was to improve the memory of head injured memory impaired people without associated intellectual deterioration. Subjects participated in group each weekday during ten weeks. The aim of strategies was to help the patient of recovery learning strategies. Exercises can be repeated to produce the use of learning strategies in the real life. 19 patients (11 subjects with a traumatic brain injury and 8 subjects with a cerebral vascular accident) completed the treatment are measured before and after the rehabilitation. In a clinic study our memory therapy was more satisfactory on visual memory than verbal memory on a French standardised memory test (the Signoret memory battery). But there is no change in the evaluation of everyday memory measured with the AMQ of Van Der Linden. The comparison of the two sub groups has given to show which pathology will benefit the more the method. These first findings suggested that it was useful to reinforce everyday memory and to include the family members more. It will also be interesting to modify the program for the reeducation of the verbal memory. A control study was necessary to evaluate the validity of our approach.