Two case studies in the application of errorless learning techniques in memory impaired patients with additional executive deficits.

PRIMARY OBJECTIVE

The purpose of the present study was to examine in what extent errorless learning can be applied to amnesic patients with additional executive dysfunction.

RESEARCH DESIGN

Two case studies were used in which two patients with severe closed head-injury were compared according to their different neuropsychological profiles.

METHODS AND PROCEDURES

Patients were taught complex semantic information about their therapists and cognitive procedures needed to programme an electronic organizer.

MAIN OUTCOMES AND RESULTS

Both semantic and procedural results suggest that the errorless method can be very helpful for teaching complex new knowledge to amnesic patients with mild executive impairment, whereas the presence of a dysexecutive syndrome may hamper the success of this form of memory rehabilitation.

CONCLUSIONS

The present study puts forward that executive deficits should be taken into account when neuropsychologists are planning to use errorless techniques.