The development of a manual-based digital memory notebook intervention with case study illustrations.
Lisa A Chudoba, Abere Sawaqdeh Church, Jessamyn B Dahmen and 2 others
PMID 31046586WHAT IT FOUND
Three individuals with memory impairment used a digital notebook after 5–6 home sessions.
Two reported improved daily function and memory; one did not, possibly due to app bugs and longer follow-up. All three reported better coping self-efficacy. This is a pilot case series, not evidence of efficacy.
Key findings
01Two of the three participants reported significant improvement in everyday functioning and memory difficulties, while the third did not.
02All three participants demonstrated clinically significant improvement in coping self-efficacy.
03Technical difficulties, including app bugs and lack of access during hospitalization, may have affected the third participant's outcomes.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat it means for OTsWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
Very small sample size (n=3) limits generalizability. No control group or comparison intervention. Follow-up periods varied significantly between participants (7, 9, and 17 weeks), complicating comparison. The third participant used an earlier, less stable version of the app with known bugs. No immediate post-intervention data; only delayed follow-up. Outcomes were primarily self-reported, with no objective performance measures. App usage was not tracked automatically, so adherence is based on self-report.
Declared interests
The authors declare no conflicts of interest. The study was supported by a grant from the National Institute on Aging.
The easy way to misread this
Do not interpret the improved coping self-efficacy as evidence that the DMN app restores memory or daily function. The functional outcomes were mixed, with one participant showing no significant change, and the study is a preliminary case series, not a controlled trial.