Use of an electronic cognitive aid by a person with Korsakoff syndrome.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of the current study was to evaluate the feasibility and the effectiveness of the use of a customized personal digital assistant (PDA) to support cognitive functioning in a person with Korsakoff syndrome. METHOD: The PDA was compared with no external support and the use of a memory watch in a single case experimental design. Three main personal goal tasks were defined: "arrive at appointments on time", "execute a long-term task successfully", and "remember to ask for medication". RESULTS: No significant differences were found between the use of the memory watch and the use of the customized PDA. PDA use was perceived as feasible and effective and was considered as a more comprehensive aid than the memory watch. CONCLUSION: This study shows that a person with Korsakoff syndrome is able to use and benefit from a customized PDA. Replication of these findings in a larger effectiveness study is necessary.

Effectiveness of an electronic cognitive aid in patients with acquired brain injury: a multicentre randomised parallel-group study.

The objective of the study was to examine the effectiveness of a customised personal digital assistant (PDA) as a cognitive aid for people with acquired brain injury, using a randomised parallel-group study. The participants were 34 patients with acquired brain injury in a cognitive rehabilitation setting. The experimental group used a customised PDA, while the control group received care-as-usual (paper-and-pencil aids). Measurements were conducted at baseline (T0), after 8 hours of training (T1), after 16 hours of training (T2), and at 5-month follow-up (T3). The main outcome was the attainment of individualised goals. Both groups showed a significant increase in goal attainment (GAS) (p < .001). There were no significant differences between the groups at T1 or T2 on any of the other outcome measures. It was concluded that the customised PDA was as effective as paper-and-pencil aids, and may therefore serve as a useful alternative when choosing the optimal rehabilitation strategy for a patient.