Two case studies in the application of errorless learning techniques in memory impaired patients with additional executive deficits

Abstract

Primary objective: The purpose of the present study was to examine in what extent errorless learning can be applied to amnesic patients with additional executive dysfunction.

Research design: Two case studies were used in which two patients with severe closed head-injury were compared according to their different neuropsychological profiles.

Methods and procedures: Patients were taught complex semantic information about their therapists and cognitive procedures needed to programme an electronic organizer.

Main outcomes and results: Both semantic and procedural results suggest that the errorless method can be very helpful for teaching complex new knowledge to amnesic patients with mild executive impairment, whereas the presence of a dysexecutive syndrome may hamper the success of this form of memory rehabilitation.

Conclusions: The present study puts forward that executive deficits should be taken into account when neuropsychologists are planning to use errorless techniques.

• Errorless learning
• semantic learning
• cognitive procedural learning
• executive functions
• episodic memory