ABSTRACT
In this chapter I explore the speci®c rationale for offering cognitive rehabilitation to people with dementia, drawing on neuropsychological models of memory functioning and experimental evidence on learning and behaviour change. Key concepts here are the potential for learning as evidenced in behavioural changes, plasticity in terms of reorganization or reactivation at the neural level, and prevention, whether of the development of problems, or the progression of changes, or of unnecessary excess disability. I then consider how these relate to the wider psychosocial context, taking account of factors such as awareness, emotional processing, mood, coping style, social resources and support networks.
