ABSTRACT

Memory refers to the dynamic processes associated with the encoding, storage and retrieval of information, and is the means via which we draw upon and retain knowledge of our past experiences to use in the present (Tulving and Craik, 2000). It is critical to cognitive, emotional, social, and vocational functioning throughout the lifespan (Tulving and Craik, 2000), and its inherent value is evident from the impact of pervasive impairments experienced by people with acquired neurological impairment (Baddeley, Kopelman and Wilson, 2002). Memory impairment can include difficulty recollecting previously acquired information (i.e. retrospective memory [RM]), learning novel information, or forgetting to perform intended actions in the future (i.e. prospective memory [PM]). Persistent memory impairment is debilitating for patients, compromising their independence and their vocational and psychosocial functioning, and it also affects the lives of families and carers who are often the main source of support (Nair and Lincoln, 2012; Ward et al., 2004).