Memory Cue

Any stimulus — such as a photograph, sound, object, location, or verbal prompt — that triggers the recollection of a past experience or piece of information. In assistive technology for people with episodic memory impairment, memory cues are used to help individuals recall recent personal experiences they might otherwise forget. Research has shown that effective memory cues for people with dementia must be both recognisable (the person can identify what the cue represents) and personally significant (the cue connects to a distinctive, meaningful aspect of the experience). Good cues typically feature one dominant type — a person, place, object, or action — that matches the nature of the experience. Lifelogging technologies that automatically capture photos, locations, and activities throughout the day can provide a rich source of potential memory cues, but selecting the most effective cues from large volumes of captured data remains a key design challenge.