Introduction:

Spaced retrieval is a non-pharmacological therapy that aims to improve cognitive functioning and learning of new information. It is particularly relevant and useful in the context of working with patients diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease as it is a method derived from the error-less paradigm – based on the effectiveness of positive repetition and priming. This review aims to assess the effectiveness of the SR technique among patients with Alzheimer’s disease.

Material and methods:

Four databases were searched using the keywords: “Alzheimer’s disease OR dementia” AND “Spaced retrieval or SR” with the time frame set from 2014 to 2023. The search was conducted according to PRISMA guidelines. Sixty-two articles were screened for eligibility and 5 were analysed in the review.

Results:

No significant differences were observed in overall cognitive functioning in Alzheimer’s patients. However, improvement could be detected in learned daily living skills. Significant improvements indicate the high ecological relevance of this method and allow it to be used to teach a variety of complex activities of daily leaving (such as using the telephone, preparing medications or managing money). SR training is more important for learning daily living skills than verbal semantic memory.

Conclusions:

This review reinforces the recommendations for implementing SR in practice and emphasizes the importance of further research.