September 2002
Research and Teaching

Memory Awareness in Dementia

Dr Chris Moulin, a lecturer in Cognitive Neuropsychology, recently lectured on 'Memory Awareness in Dementia' at the University.

The seminar was organised by the University's Division of Dementia Studies, the Bradford Dementia Group, within the School of Health Studies and was very successful in attracting academics, practitioners and researchers concerned with care of people with dementia.

The lecture examined how an understanding of people's memory awareness is important in helping people live with memory impairment and how previous research suggests that people with dementia are not aware of their memory problems.

Dr Moulin's research uses a new approach to examine the subjective experience of memory and demonstrates that people with dementia are aware of their memory difficulties. Dr Moulin, of the University of Leeds, said: "Clinicians and researchers keen to help with memory impairment need to know about a person's subjective experience or awareness of their memory function. Using behavioural interventions requires an awareness of the person's understanding of their needs. Memory awareness has therefore often been seen as necessary for interventions to be helpful. Many researchers describe people with dementia as having deficient memory awareness. This view fails people with dementia because it is not sufficiently interested in people's experience. In fact, people with Alzheimer's disease are sensitive to their own memory impairments and for the most part, memory awareness is intact in dementia."

Dr Chris Moulin discussed the possible influence this finding could have on memory rehabilitation and the benefits of moving towards a 'person-centred' neuropsychology.

The seminar was part of Bradford's Dementia Group Seminar Series. For further information contact Linda Fox, Bradford Dementia Group, the School of Health Studies at the University of Bradford on (01274) 233996 or email l.j.fox@bradford.ac.uk.

Also see: www.brad.ac.uk/acad/health/bdg.htm

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