Clinical use of preserved learning capacity in dementia

Many health professionals continue to believe that people with dementia are incapable of new learning. There are conceptual and observational grounds for arguing that this belief is false, a view supported by experimental evidence summarised in this paper. Clinical cases are also presented showing that impaired but still extant learning can be used to ameliorate some behavioural problems. Patients were taught, using spaced retrieval and the method of fading cues, to associate a cue with more adaptive behavior. Uses and limitations of this clinical technique are discussed.