A Microsoft research lab in the UK has created a device that may help restore memories to Alzheimer’s patients and others whose recollections may not be so clear as they once were.

The device, known as the Sensicon, is “a little black box ...which contains a digital camera and an accelerator to measure movement.” The Sensicon is worn around the neck of the person and takes pictures throughout the day. Later, the caregiver has the opportunity to choose images from the device and record a simple narrative about the photos.

The person who is experiencing the memory issues is then able to look at the photographs on a tablet and the play audio of the events. The initial tests demonstrated that using the device not only helped “restore” some of the patient’s memories, it saved the care giver the experience of hearing numerous repetitions from the person with memory loss.


This is not the first time I’ve heard about audio cues being used to help those with Alzheimer’s Disease. In addition to relaying and watching recent memories, music has been shown to trigger older memories in Alzheimer’s patients. When a person with Alzheimer’s hears music from their younger years, the medial prefrontal cortex is activated. According to a UC Davis study, this area stays “awake” in the brains of Alzheimer’s patients longer than other parts of the brain, so this can be an important way to re-awaken some sleeping memories.

If the patients are further along and need calming, there is another multi-media approach commonly used in Europe that is believed to be effective. A NYT article talked about a special room in facilities just for patients suffering from dementia -the Snoezelen rooms are licensed in the Netherlands and are billed as providing “peace and relaxation” through multi-sensory techniques.  They use colors and images projected on the walls to the tune of soft music playing in the background.

The Snoezelen rooms have been used in other instances including pre-natal rooms and in psychiatric wards, where calming the patients is definitely an advantage.