Capturing and Reviewing Context in Memory Aids

Matthew LeeAnind Dey

Carnegie Mellon UniversityHuman-Computer Interaction Institute

April 22, 2006 2

Recent Episodic Memory

• Recent episodic memory loss

• Anterograde amnesia• Difficulty encoding an experience into long term memory• (e.g. Dory from Finding Nemo)

• Affects people with Alzheimer’s disease, Korsakoff’s syndrome, other brain trauma, and elders

• Research goal: facilitate awareness of recent experiences using capture & review

• to maintain a sense of self and continuity• leading to greater independence and confidence

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Passive Capture

• What to capture?

• Sensors are good for capturing low-level details of a situation.• e.g. objects, people, sounds, location, time, temperature, weather,

physiological state• Essentially, this is the “context of memories”

• Passive capture

• Does not require explicit user action to initiate capture• Minimize the cost of capture

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Reviewing Context

• Present the context of memories as:

• cues for memory recollection • building-blocks for memory reconstruction

• Exercising intact cognitive abilities

• Assist memory abilities, not replace it• Mental exercise may slow the progression of degenerative diseases like

Alzheimer’s disease (DeVreese, et al, 1997)

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Ethnography

• People with early Alzheimer’s disease and their caregivers in their homes

• To determine:

• What cues to capture?• What is the best way to present cues?• What existing strategies are used to compensate for episodic memory

impairment?• How to integrate capture and review into routines?

• Results will be used to design a context-aware memory aid for people with episodic memory impairments.

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Questions

• What are the best practices in conducting an ethnography of people with cognitive disabilities?

• How to evaluate the effectiveness of a memory aid?

• Effective if users adopt it?• Effective if users like it?• Effective if users abilities don’t decline?