The efficacy of imagery mnemonics in memory remediation

Training and instructions in the use of mental imagery can lead to improved retention in patients with memory impairment as the result of brain injury or disease. The amount of improvement varies inversely with the severity of memory impairment, but it largely unrelated to either the aetiology or the locus of brain damage. It also appears to depend on the patients' motivation rather than their intelligence, education or imagery ability. However, brain-damaged patients may need explicit prompting if they are to use imagery mnemonics successfully and often fail to maintain their use on similar learning materials or to generalise their use to new learning situations. As a result, imagery mnemonics will typically be of little practical value in enabling memory-impaired individuals to respond to the cognitive challenges of everyday life.