Memory rehabilitation: Restorative, specific knowledge acquisition, compensatory, and holistic approaches

Abstract

Memory impairment following an acquired brain injury can negatively impact daily living, quality of life, and progression to dementia—but can be reduced by memory rehabilitation. Here we review the literature on three approaches for memory rehabilitation and their associated strategies: (1) the restorative approach, aimed at a return to pre-morbid functioning, (2) the knowledge acquisition approach, involving training on specific information relevant to daily life, and (3) the compensatory approach, targeted at improving daily functioning. Each memory rehabilitation approach includes specific strategies such as drill and practice (restorative), spaced retrieval (knowledge acquisition), and memory aids (compensatory). Past research has demonstrated little support for the use of restorative strategies to improve memory function whereas knowledge acquisition strategies show promising results on trained tasks but require intensive and time-consuming training. Finally, compensatory strategies remain widely used but there is limited information on training individuals to use them effectively. Considerations for future research to improve the applicability of strategies for memory rehabilitation include assessing memory impairment severity, examining memory needs in daily life, and exploring the long-term effects of memory rehabilitation.