Implicit Memory and Familiarity Among Elders with Dementia

Abstract

To propose a framework for familiar environment as a cue for maintaining or maximizing functional abilities in elders with dementia. Organizing Construct : The organizing construct is the sense of familiarity. Although a feeling of familiarity can be processed in both explicit and implicit memory in normal populations, it is retrieved more frequently and efficiently in the implicit memory system than through explicit memory in elders with dementia. Methods : The model was developed using sources identified through a literature search of relevant topics in Medline, PsycInfo, and CINAHL, as well as through clinical observations and experiences. Conclusions : Evidence from neuro- and cognitive psychology indicates that elders with dementia or Alzheimer's disease (AD) have impaired explicit memory but preserved implicit memory. For initiating an intervention related to spared implicit memory, we propose that implicit memory can be used therapeutically in patients with dementia. The sense of familiarity as a form of implicit memory is used as an exemplar. Producing or introducing the sense of familiarity into a new or strange environment as well as maximizing familiarity in an existing environment is proposed as a viable nursing strategy