SenseCam: A new tool for memory rehabilitation?

Abstract

The emergence of life-logging technologies has led neuropsychologist to focus on understanding how this new technology could help patients with memory disorders. Despite the growing number of studies using life-logging technologies, a theoretical framework supporting its effectiveness is lacking. This review focuses on the use of life-logging in the context of memory rehabilitation, particularly the use of SenseCam, a wearable camera allowing passive image capture. In our opinion, reviewing SenseCam images can be effective for memory rehabilitation only if it provides more than an assessment of prior occurrence in ways that reinstates previous thoughts, feelings and sensory information, thus stimulating recollection. Considering the fact that, in memory impairment, self-initiated processes are impaired, we propose that the environmental support hypothesis can explain the value of SenseCam for memory retrieval. Twenty-five research studies were selected for this review and despite the general acceptance of the value of SenseCam as a memory technique, only a small number of studies focused on recollection. We discuss the usability of this tool to improve episodic memory and in particular, recollection.

Introduction

Cognitive neuropsychology has focused in recent years on the use of wearable cameras [1], mainly to help patients with memory disorders [2]. Video-recording activities of daily life has been described as a log of “life data”, sometimes called “life-logging” (for a full review see [2]). Producing a regular log of life images raises the question as to whether such technology could be beneficial for patients with memory disorders. For example, reviewing the day's images might be helpful for recollecting autobiographical memories. Thus having patients review their day's video might be a way to help them remember particular events, for example the discussion they had in the morning in the baker's. In this review, we will focus on the use of these tools – in particular SenseCam, a small wearable camera – with the main objective of providing a theoretical framework for research. The main suggestion is that the use of this type of tool to improve recollection should facilitate access to cues and information that are pertinent for the patient. This review of the literature will thus explore how SenseCam provides effective recall cues which can facilitate recollection.

Improving recollection in patients with memory disorders is an important field of research in neuropsychology. Up to the present time, most studies have focused on using “internal” strategies, for example categorical cueing or errorless learning [3], [4]. However, despite widespread use of this type of aid, it has not always been possible to generalize the results to other mnemonic functions [5]. The main reason for this limitation is the fact that these strategies are generally designed to stimulate a specific type of memory (for instance procedural memory). Moreover, even when people are successful in using these strategies to improve their performances, they are generally unable to apply them in their daily life. Such failures would be due, at least in part, to the fact that the patients are unaware of their memory deficit or its importance [6]. Indeed, certain studies show that patients with the greatest difficulty in evaluating their memory disorders are also the patients who benefit least from rehabilitation because of the non-implementation of adequate strategies [7], [8]. In clinical practice, internal strategies, such as the use of memory strategies, and external strategies, such as the use of technological tools, are often applied complementarily. However, the use of internal strategies could potentially be hindered by underlying anosognosia since internal strategies require personal commitment, and in particular adequate awareness of the memory problems encountered. On the contrary, external aids could be easier to use and less dependent on the patient's cognitive resources or mnemonic impairment.

External memory aids are described as physical devices, tools or equipment that allow the user to access memory more easily [9], for example personal diaries, agendas, or cell phones [10], [11], [12]. However, despite the efficacy of external aids, certain limitations are observed [13], [14]. As for internal strategies, using an external memory aid implies that the user is aware of their memory deficit, or at least they recognizes that memory retrieval is difficult. This level of awareness should not only incite the patients to use the tool, but also guide them in their interaction with it, for example knowing what type of information should be recorded or how to access recorded data [15]. This awareness of the existing deficit, or lack thereof (anosognosia), is often associated with memory deficits (see [14] for a synthesis concerning Alzheimer's disease (AD) and the use of external (or internal) aids. Thus patients must consciously remember to use the tool and consult it when trying to recall memories. In this context, more passive life-logging techniques might be a more effective rehabilitation tool because they require minimal patient input.