PC-Based Cognitive Rehabilitation for Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)
Condition: Traumatic Brain Injury
MeSH terms: Brain Injuries; Brain Injuries, Traumatic
Study type: Observational

Summary: 
      The investigators evaluated whether it was possible to improve the measurement of memory,
      attention, and executive function in patients who have suffered traumatic brain injury
      through the use of computer-based testing.

      Note: the original design of the study was altered due to failure to recruit sufficient
      numbers of patients who were willing to undergo prolonged cognitive training.
    

Detailed description: 
      Here we describe a series of computer-based tests that were used to evaluate memory,
      attention, and executive function in large groups of control subjects and in patients with
      chronic mild and moderate/severe TBI. This extensive battery of neuropsychological tests
      (NPTs) and subjective rating scale measures were obtained at study entry from the TBI cohort.
      NPT and rating scale data were compared to those obtained from control subjects to
      characterize the cognitive deficits following mild, moderate and severe TBI. .

      Normative data were obtained by regressing the influences of age, education, and computer use
      on scores to create normed z-scores on different NPTs,. We hypothesized that patient with TBI
      would show deficits on tests of memory, attention, and executive function relative to their
      predicted z-scores (based on the aforementioned regression functions) and that deficits would
      be more pronounced in patients with severe TBI than in patients with mild TBI.
    

Intervention name(s): Digit span testing; Spatial span testing; Finger tapping; Simple reaction time; Choice reaction time; Verbal fluency; Verbal list learning; Trail making test; Design fluency; Questionnaire completion
Intervention type(s): Behavioral; Behavioral; Behavioral; Behavioral; Behavioral; Behavioral; Behavioral; Behavioral; Behavioral; Behavioral
Intervention description(s): Testing of short-term verbal memory with digit span; Testing of short-term visuospatial memory with spatial span.; Testing motor speed with a finger tapping test.; Testing the time to respond to the appearance of a visual stimulus.; Testing the time needed to discriminate and respond to different visual stimuli.; Evaluating how many words are produced in 90s.; Evaluating short-term memory, learning, and memory interference in the recall of 12-word lists, presented three times. Evaluating long-term memory and recognition after a 20 min interval.; Evaluating visuomotor speed and executive function in Trail Making Tests, A and B. In the first, subjects connect successive numbers with the mouse. In the second, they connect numbers and letters in alternation.; Subjects create the maximal number of 4-line patterns in 90 s.; Question completion time is measured on each question of the Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder check list (PCL) and on the cognitive failures questionnaire.
Observational model: Ecologic or Community
Time perspective: Cross-Sectional
Sampling method: Non-Probability Sample
Study population: 
        Controls subjects of various ages (approximately 230), and TBI patients (approximately 30).
      
Keywords: cognitive training; neuroplasticity; cognitive impairment; recovery of function; memory; attention