COMPUTERIZED MEMORY TRAINING FOR THE ELDERLY

IN PHASE I, DECISION SYSTEMS PROPOSES TO DEVELOP A PROTOTYPECOMPUTERTIZED MEMORY TRAINING PACKAGE NAMED MEMORYPERFECT. IT IS DESIGNED TO TEACH A VARIETY OF RELAXATION, IMAGERY, AND MNEMONIC TECHNIQUES THAT RESEARCH SHOWS IMPROVES RECALL OF INFORMATION IN THE ELDERLY. THE MEMORYPERFECT PROTOTYPE CONSISTS OF SIX MODULES. THE FIRST IS THE RECORDS-KEEPING MODULE, WHICH MAINTAINS A RUNNING SCORE OF THE USER'S PERFORMANCE, RETURNS THE USER TOTHE TRAINING MODULE LAST USED, AND MAINTAINS AND DISPLAYS A CHART OF THE TRAINING MODULES COMPLETED AND THOSE YET TO BE STUDIED. THE SECOND MODULE IS THE MANUS AND COMMAND LINE PROMPTS MODULE. THIRD IS THE INTRODUCTORY SESSION MODULE, AND FOURTH IS THE ANXIETY EVALUATION AND RELAXATION TRAININGMODULE, WHICH ASSESSES THE USER'S DEGREE OF LEARNING ANXIETYAND OFFERS RELAXATION TRAINING IF NECESSARY. THE FIFTH MODULE IS THE IMAGERY PRETRAINING MODULE, USED TO IMPROVE THE USER'S ABILITY TO CREATE EFFECTIVE IMAGES DURING MEMORY TRAINING. THE FINAL MODULE IS THE MNEMONIC TRAINING MODULE, USED TO TEACH A WIDE VARIETY OF MEMORY IMPROVEMENT TECHNIQUES. DECISION SYSTEMS HAS IDENTIFIED THE FOLLOWING VERTICAL MARKETS FOR THE COMPUTERIZED TRAINING: (1) SENIOR CITIZEN CENTERS, (2) RETIREMENT COMMUNITY RECREATIONAL CENTERS, (3) AUDIO-VISUAL CENTERS AT PUBLIC LIBRARIES, AND (4) MEDICAL CARE CENTERS.