These programs are designed for therapeutic use by individuals with long-term memory problems caused by an injury to the brain or by stroke. The emphasis is on the transfer of new information into long-term storage, as opposed to short-term, temporary retention.
PAIRMEM (Paired Associate Memory) is of special value in promoting associative elaboration in that it encourages and records associations which are integrated in the Final Recall task. FRSELF (Free Recall, Self-Study mode) is a demanding verbal recall task useful for persons with advanced learning needs, such as students. TQUEST (Text Inquiry) involves the studying of paragraph length material for subsequent comprehension and memory testing.
The programs in this series were designed to be used with minimal supervision by clients who can see a computer display and use a keyboard. The programs will be most effectively used under the guidance of a cognitive rehabilitation therapist. Few therapists, however, can spend the amount of time required for an intensive individualized exercise program. These programs are therefore designed to enable people to help themselves by extending and intensifying their therapeutic exercise program. Together with tasks in other COGREHAB packages, they can be used by therapists to supplement a comprehensive cognitive rehabilitation program.
Paired Associate Memory is the classic associative memory task in which associations are made between arbitrarily paired words. The ability to elaborate an association is critical to effective storing of new verbal information in longer term memory. The exercise is to promote associative verbal learning skills. Interference may be given between trials to prevent reliance on rote short-term memory processes. PAIRMEM now includes several features designed to enhance the program's clinical usefulness and versatility, that is, final recall, rehearsal with association, and selective rehearsal. To be remembered pairs are drawn from a pool of high frequency monosyllabic English nouns (AA, Thorndike and Lorge, 1944); while interference words include some drawn from one level of frequency down.
Pairs of unrelated words are displayed for study. The user tries to learn the pairs so that he or she can type the second word when the computer presents the first. The number of pairs and the study time can be varied to change the task from very easy to very difficult.
This supra span memory exercise allows one to work on the transfer of information into longer-term storage. It is designed to go beyond rote memory and to differentiate short-term from long-term storage. Free Recall is a classic memory task from experimental psychology which permits differential measurement of both short- and long-term retention. It can be used for diagnosis of memory problems, and then in exercises to improve retention and to measure improvements.
A set of high frequency (AA, Thorndike & Lorge) monosyllabic English words is the STANDARD is to be recalled. A SPANISH list is composed of translations of these words.
In this more advanced verbal memory exercise, the computer shows lists of 12 words. Commonly used monosyllabic nouns (from the 1944 Thorndike-Lorge list) are presented one at a time, after which the patient tries to recall all the words. Words may be recalled in any order; most often, the final words on the list will be reported first. In each protocol, there are 12 lists of 12 words each to be remembered. When the lists are presented, they are followed by a short interval. On half the lists, the patient simply pauses and then, at a signal from the computer, tries to recall the words out loud. On half the lists, the patient types additional words after the 12 words are presented, but does not try to remember these additional words. This typing task is intended to displace transient or short-term storage so that only words from long-term storage are available for recall.
TQUEST is for reading: comprehending and remembering textual materials. Texts are presented followed by comprehension questions. The texts can be nearly a full screen and the questions must have a unique answer. . A variety of topics is included; you may also create your own material using a text editor or LSA's TEXTBLDR program. Paragraphs are presented single-spaced on a single screen. The patient studies the text and presses a key when ready for questions. In 'Memory' mode the text is removed and in 'Comprehension' mode the text remains on while questions are presented. Comprehension results (immediate feedback is optional) and reading/study rates (in words per minute) are reported and saved in a disk file accessible for spreadsheet analysis.