Cognitive rehabilitation of memory problems in patients with epilepsy

• Published in: Seizure (London, England) Vol. 15; no. 4; pp. 267 - 273
• Main Authors: Ponds, Rudolf W.H.M., Hendriks, Mark
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Elsevier Ltd 01.06.2006
• Subjects: Compensation strategies; Emotions; Epilepsy - psychology; Epilepsy - rehabilitation; Humans; Memory - physiology; Memory deficits; Memory Disorders - etiology; Memory Disorders - rehabilitation; Memory rehabilitation program; Neuropsychological rehabilitation; Neuropsychology - methods; Personality; Quality of Life; Neuropsychological rehabilitation; Memory deficits; Compensation strategies; Memory rehabilitation program
• ISSN: 1059-1311; 1532-2688
• DOI: 10.1016/j.seizure.2006.02.011

People with epilepsy often complain about their memory. Memory deficits are also most commonly observed during neuropsychological evaluation. Many patients with memory problems ask for some kind of memory training. General memory improvement is not possible, but learning mnemonics clearly will help to solve some of the most common everyday memory problems of patients. Most mnemonics follow the general rules for good learning or memory. In the design of a memory rehabilitation program some specific aspect should be taken into account, such as the need for psycho-education into the effects of cognitive deficits in daily life, the impact of personality and emotional reactions, and the individual perception of memory problems. Training goals must be tailor-made, small and as concrete as possible and fully adjusted to the needs and wishes of the patients. Generalization of the learned mnemonics is mostly modest or even absent.