What Is Prospective Memory and Why Does It Matter for Patient Care?

CONFERENCE REPORTER

Michael Scullin, PhD, discussed 2 related areas of his research: the cognitive science of prospective memory and its clinical implications, and the translation of sleep health knowledge into behavioral practice.

Scullin defined prospective memory as the ability to remember to execute intended actions in the future, ranging from everyday tasks such as purchasing groceries to clinically significant behaviors such as medication adherence and keeping medical appointments.¹ He described his laboratory's work on cognitive strategies for prospective memory enhancement, including visualization and cognitive training techniques, but noted that the most robust finding from his data is that offloading intentions to digital devices with automated reminders outperforms internally generated cognitive strategies.² He cited the practical example of a daily medication reminder set on a smartphone as an illustration of this principle.

Scullin described an ongoing stage 2 behavioral clinical trial examining prospective memory support in individuals with mild cognitive impairment and mild dementia. The trial compares training in digital calendar use—which provides automated reminders but requires familiarity with technology that this population may lack—against paper-based scheduling systems, which are more familiar but do not offer automated prompting. Participants are being followed for 6 months following a brief training period, Scullin described. Scullin noted that the specific digital platform is less important than whether the system is accessible and easy for older adults with cognitive impairment to use reliably.

Scullin emphasizes a central translational message for clinicians and researchers: knowing that sleep is important is not sufficient. He identified the gap between sleep-related knowledge and sleep-related behavior as a critical target, encouraging conference attendees to model the sleep practices they recommend, including earlier bedtimes, reduced evening screen exposure, and mindful consumption of food and drink.

Dr Scullin is professor of psychology and neuroscience at Baylor University and principal investigator of the Sleep Neuroscience and Cognition Laboratory. He is an awardee of the Mary A. Carskadon Outstanding Educator Award.

References

1. Richmond LL, Burnett LK. Characterizing older adults’ real world memory function using ecologically valid approaches. Psychology of Learning and Motivation. 2022;77:193-232.

2. Ball BH, Peper P, Robison MK. Reminders eliminate age-related declines in prospective memory. Psychol Aging. 2025;40(1):54-65.