Breakthrough Could Help Thousands with Amnesia

Baycrest program blends cutting-edge brain research with emerging electronic technology

Middle-age baby boomers Doron, Marty, Barb and Mike all have amnesia, a catastrophic memory condition that brought them to seek help at Baycrest.

One moment they were high-functioning with successful careers in business and the arts. The next moment their memories were cruelly disrupted, leaving them unable to remember major life events or even what they did 15 minutes earlier.

Watching a movie or reading a book became frustrating activities for them because they couldn’t remember plot developments or what they read a few chapters earlier. Planning an activity for the next hour or next day was simply out of the question.

Doron, Marty, Barb and Mike were “marooned in the moment” as The Globe and Mail newspaper so deftly put it in a feature story last December. Sticky notes posted around the house and partners constantly reminding them of what they just did and what they needed to do next were now the norm.

Severe amnesia can be triggered by an aneurysm, brain infection, tumor, stroke or traumatic brain injury. Until recently, individuals with this form of amnesia were considered untreatable and frequently destined for an institution or life at home with 24-hour supervision, an incredible burden on families.

“Electronic Memory Aids May Have Application For A Range Of Memory Disorders,” Dr. Richards Says.

If only there was a way they could learn and retain new information and skills that would help them regain some independence. Now there is hope.

A team of clinicians and scientists at Baycrest has devised a training method that circumvents the damaged areas of the brain and taps into a cluster of preserved memory systems that are capable of accumulating new information. It’s a breakthrough that could help improve the lives of thousands of Canadians who have this devastating condition.

Armed with this knowledge, Baycrest has joined forces with handheld electronics giant Palm Inc. to marry the new memory research with emerging handheld electronic technology.

Baycrest’s rehabilitation program, known as Memory-Link, teaches individuals with amnesia the skills to use compensatory memory aids, such as the Palm handheld electronic organizer, and does so in such a way that the skill becomes autom-atic.

“That is the key,” says psychologist Dr. Brian Richards, who created the Memory-Link program. “Participants carry out repeated drills on the Palm until procedural learning occurs.” Procedural learning enables us to acquire skills and know-how, such as riding a bicycle or playing golf, without knowing consciously how we learned it. Fortunately, this memory system is left intact in those with severe amnesia.

“Our treatment approach is the most exciting and hopeful yet for individuals with severe amnesia,” Richards explains. “If it can work for this population, there is a possibility electronic memory aids may have application for a range of memory disorders.”

Clients learn to use a standard handheld unit, but to meet the unique needs of this population, Baycrest partnered with the University of Toronto computer science department to design compatible software applications that support memory function beyond the normal forgetfulness glitches that we all experience. Clients with amnesia participated on the software design team and the first tool they developed was an orienting tool – a safety feature that enabled the user to access information at any time as to where they are, why they are there and what they are supposed to be doing.

An equally important aspect of the Memory-Link program is the social work and occupational therapy supports for clients and their families. These supports are aimed at restoring as much autonomy as possible for the client and reducing the caregiver burden and stress on the family.