Prospective memory impairment in neurological disorders: implications and management

Prospective memory is a core neurocognitive ability that refers to memory for future intentions, such as remembering to take medications and to switch off appliances. Any breakdown in prospective memory, therefore, has serious implications for the ability to function independently in everyday life. In many neurological disorders, including Parkinson disease and dementia, prospective memory deficits are common even in the earliest stages and typically become more severe with disease progression. Consequently, clinical assessment of prospective memory is of critical importance. This article provides an overview of the various manifestations and neural bases of prospective memory deficits. To facilitate clinical decision-making, validated measures of this construct are identified and their suitability for clinical practice is discussed, focusing in particular on clinical sensitivity and psychometric properties. The article concludes by reviewing the approaches that can be used to rehabilitate different types of prospective memory impairment, and algorithms to guide the evaluation and treatment of these impairments are provided.