An electronic memory aid to support prospective memory in patients in the early stages of Alzheimer's disease: a pilot study.

The use of an electronic memory aid (EMA) for patients with mild-to-moderate probable Alzheimer disease is examined in five outpatients aged 58-79 years. The ability to remember to carry out seven tasks at a particular time was evaluated in three experimental conditions: recall without an external memory aid, recall with a written list and recall with support available from an EMA. The use of an EMA significantly improved patients' prospective memory, while the written list and free recall were not useful. Future research that examines the value of using an EMA to help with tasks that are associated with prospective memory with a larger sample of patients within their own home context is suggested.