Biemond Roeline, Oudman Erik, Postma Albert
Experimental Psychology, Helmholtz Institute, Utrecht University, 3584 CS Utrecht, The Netherlands.
Amsta, Cluster Korsakoff, 1052 LS Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
J Clin Med. 2022 Nov 25;11(23):6947. doi: 10.3390/jcm11236947.
Korsakoff syndrome (KS) is a severe neuropsychiatric syndrome derived from acute thiamine deficiency and concomitant alcohol use disorders. KS patients need lifelong assistance because of the severity of their cognitive problems. In clinical practice and research, errorless learning has proven to be an effective cognitive rehabilitation method for patients with KS. Our study focused on optimizing errorless learning by introducing new software technology to support the training process of errorless learning. Although the benefits of errorless learning for patients with Korsakoff's syndrome have been thoroughly investigated, it is currently unclear whether new technology could contribute to better learning and maintenance of everyday tasks. Therefore, an errorless learning application was built. This device is a web application and can be used on a tablet, laptop, or smartphone. The application allows clinicians and researchers to insert pictures, videoclips, timers, and audio fragments in the different steps of an errorless learning training plan. This way, the different steps are visible and easy to follow for patients. Moreover, it ensures as a learning method that the training is executed exactly the same way for each and every training. The aim of this study was twofold: to examine whether the use of the errorless learning application is effective, and whether it leads to better results than a regular errorless learning of everyday activities. In total, 13 patients with KS were trained in instrumental activities of daily living by means of the application, and 10 patients were trained with traditional instructions. Results showed an equal improvement for both training methods. Importantly, the technology group could better remember the training when probed at a later moment than the traditional errorless learning group. These results are promising for further development of novel technology to support errorless learning applications in clinical practice.
科萨科夫综合征（KS）是一种严重的神经精神综合征，由急性硫胺素缺乏和伴随的酒精使用障碍引起。由于认知问题严重，KS患者需要终身帮助。在临床实践和研究中，无错误学习已被证明是一种对KS患者有效的认知康复方法。我们的研究专注于通过引入新的软件技术来优化无错误学习，以支持无错误学习的训练过程。尽管已经对无错误学习对科萨科夫综合征患者的益处进行了深入研究，但目前尚不清楚新技术是否有助于更好地学习和维持日常任务。因此，构建了一个无错误学习应用程序。该设备是一个网络应用程序，可以在平板电脑、笔记本电脑或智能手机上使用。该应用程序允许临床医生和研究人员在无错误学习训练计划的不同步骤中插入图片、视频片段、定时器和音频片段。这样，不同的步骤对患者来说是可见的且易于遵循。此外，作为一种学习方法，它确保每次训练都以完全相同的方式执行。本研究的目的有两个：检查使用无错误学习应用程序是否有效，以及它是否比日常活动的常规无错误学习产生更好的结果。总共13名KS患者通过该应用程序接受了日常生活工具性活动的训练，10名患者接受了传统指导训练。结果显示两种训练方法的改善程度相同。重要的是，与传统无错误学习组相比，技术组在稍后接受测试时能更好地记住训练内容。这些结果对于支持临床实践中无错误学习应用的新技术的进一步开发很有前景。
