Training Autobiographical Memory Retrieval in Healthy Older Adults Using Novel Lifelogging Technology

Duke University, Durham NC

Investigators

Abstract

Training autobiographical memory in older adults using novel lifelogging technology Memory for personally experienced past events, or episodic memory, is the cognitive ability most impaired by healthy aging and the first one to decline in Alzheimer's Disease. Therefore, it is not surprising that episodic memory has been a primary target of cognitive training studies in these populations. Yet, most of these studies have focused on episodic memory for laboratory stimuli (such as lists of words or pictures), rather than on episodic memory as it typically operates in the real world?namely autobiographical memory. Autobiographical memory refers to memory of events in our own life, such as what we did last weekend or where we parked the car in the morning. Although it is usually assumed that training memory using word or pictures should transfer to everyday memory, transfer is often small because of the large differences between these memory tasks. One way to address this important issue is to train memory abilities that are closer to the way memory is used in the real world. Thus, instead of training memory for laboratory stimuli, we propose to train autobiographical memory. This approach is novel as no previous memory training study in older adults has focused on autobiographical memory. One of the reasons for this gap in research is that, until recently, it has been very difficult to train autobiographical memory and accurately measure its improvement. This situation has recently changed due to the creation of novel wearable technology such as lifelogging cameras. These cameras can continuously and automatically take photos from a first-person perspective without user intervention. Preliminary studies have shown that lifelogging camera photos can dramatically enhance remembering in amnesics. The proposed studies will train autobiographical memory in older adults using lifelogging camera photos and movies created from them, which will also allow accurate measures of memory improvement. We have three specific aims. (1) Demonstrate that autobiographical memory training yields transfer to software-based untrained autobiographical memory and laboratory memory tasks. (2) Show that autobiographical memory training yields significant transfer to everyday memory measures. (3) Prove that autobiographical memory training effects persist for several months. In sum, the proposed study will investigate an innovative memory training approach based on training autobiographical memory instead of the traditional approach of training that uses laboratory stimuli. Taking advantage of novel lifelogging technology, we will train memory in healthy OAs using participants' own memories, which is likely to enhance transfer to memory in everyday life. The results will provide critical pilot data for a future R01 application focused on using our novel approach to rehabilitate episodic memory in early Alzheimer's Disease.