Three Methods of Memory Training for Severely Amnesic Patients

Abstract

The results of memory training are reported for three densely amnesic patients. It was found that these patients were able to successfully learn the specific content of what was taught, utilizing either rote rehearsal or elaboration methods, but none of the patients demonstrated any generalization of learning strategies to unfamiliar material. The general conclusion was that densely amnesic patients can learn specific items of information, and that such learning may facilitate competence in activities of daily living. However, mnemonic devices involving verbal elaboration and imagery that have been successfully taught by professional mnemonists to normal individuals do not appear to be effective with amnesic patients.