Error-monitoring in an everyday task in people with Alzheimer-type dementia: Observations over five years of performance decline

Abstract

Research suggests that, although everyday action errors increase significantly with dementia progression, accomplishment of the task remains high, even in severe dementia. We used archive observational data charting progressive decline in everyday task performance to explore error-monitoring over a 5-year period in four people with dementia. None of the participants showed effective error-monitoring during their execution of their established tea-making routine: Over 5 years and into more severe stages of dementia, errors increased, but there was no reactive increase from our participants in error-monitoring. Training to error-monitor routine tasks may be an appropriate target for further study.