Neural Bases of Cognitive Rehabilitation for Brain Injury
Condition: Brain Injury
MeSH terms: Brain Injuries; Wounds and Injuries
Study type: Interventional

Summary: 
      Some of the most common and disabling consequences of brain injury are deficits in cognition,
      such as difficulty with sustained attention, memory, organization, and goal management. The
      long-term goal of this research program is to develop and test novel neuroscience-based
      cognitive interventions for improving attentional regulation and related "executive function"
      brain processes involved in goal-directed behavior.
    

Detailed description: 
      Brain injury often results in a disruption of attention regulation processes, which reduces
      the efficiency and effectiveness of cognitive functions including learning, memory,
      problem-solving and goal management, leading to significant functional disability. More
      intervention options are needed.

      We set out to test different possible interventions. Individuals with traumatic brain injury
      (TBI) and chronic executive control dysfunction participate in interventions, with pre- and
      post-intervention measurements of cognitive functioning. Training in Goal-oriented
      attentional self-regulation (GOALS) was administered in comparison to Brain Health Education
      (EDU).

      GOALS is designed to train attention regulation skills along with meta-cognitive strategies
      for goal management, with a emphasis on application to participant-selected projects. This is
      a group-based intervention.

      Brain Health Education is designed to increase knowledge and understanding of key factors
      that affect brain functioning. This is a group-based intervention matched to the GOALS
      intervention.
    

Intervention name(s): Goal-oriented attentional self-regulation; Brain Health Education
Intervention type(s): Behavioral; Behavioral
Intervention description(s): This will involve 5-7 weeks of training (20 hours of group training (2 hour sessions, 2 days per week), 3 hours of individual training (1 hour at the beginning, halfway through and at the end of training), and approximately 20 hours of home practice). In brief, the GBSM training protocol is designed to maximize the potential for improving attention regulation skills and the goal-directed functions they support, applying mindfulness-based attention regulation training to practice in redirecting attention to goal-relevant processes especially in the context of distractions is emphasized throughout training. Participants are asked to identify realistic functional goals as feasible individual and group projects, and are then trained in goal management strategies on the functional task(s) of their choice.; Brain Health Education (EDU) will involve 5-7 weeks of training (20 hours of group training (2 hour sessions, 2 days per week), 3 hours of individual training (1 hour at the beginning, halfway through and at the end of training), and approximately 20 hours of homework). The EDU intervention involves education in health and brain injury in a classroom format, with study materials for homework.
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention model: Parallel Assignment
Masking: Single (Outcomes Assessor)
Primary purpose: Treatment
Keywords: executive dysfunction; brain injury; attention; rehabilitation