Effects of errorless and errorful face-name associative learning in moderate to severe dementia

Background and aims: The prevention of errors during learning has been found to be effective in overcoming memory problems in patients with amnesia compared with errorful or trial-and-error learning, possibly as a result of intact implicit memory function. Although errorless learning is a clinically promising technique used in cognitive training settings, to date only a few studies have examined errorless learning in patients with dementia. Methods: The current study examined errorless and errorful learning using a face-name associative memory task in a group of moderate to severe dementia patients suffering from probable Alzheimer’s disease (MMSE≤22; n = 10) using a fully counterbalanced within-subject design. Results: Errorless learning had a significantly beneficial effect after two consecutive learning trials (p=0.01). However, after an unfilled delay of 10 minutes, no significant differences in memory performance were found between errorless and errorful learning. Furthermore, current effects were much smaller compared with previous findings in healthy adults and early-stage dementia patients. Conclusions: Although errorful learning resulted in better performance in a face-name associative memory task in patients with dementia, this effect was only short-lived. Thus, the beneficial effects of errorless learning are probably not due to intact implicit memory function, but may also be subserved by explicit memory, a memory system that is typically impaired in dementia. Also, the clinical applicability of errorless learning in teaching patients with moderate to severe dementia face-name associations is limited.