Occupational Therapy and Cognitive Challenges After Brain Injury

Background: There is a need for standardized interventions in community rehabilitation that can improve everyday task performance for older adults with cognitive challenges after acquired brain injury. Older adults are often excluded from research due to strict inclusion criteria. It is critical for a sustainable health service system that these patients are empowered and reach their maximum level of independence. The Perceive, Recall, Plan and Perform System (PRPP) of Intervention can be applied by Occupational Therapists (OT) for clients with cognitive challenges to enhance mastery of needed or desired everyday tasks. There is no current evidence for the effectiveness of this intervention for this population.

Purpose: A clinical trial to investigate the effectiveness of the PRPP intervention for older persons with cognitive impairments after brain injury in the context of community-based rehabilitation.

Method: In PRPP intervention the OT uses systematically instructions in task training to support a client to use cognitive strategies efficiently. The everyday tasks used for training should be valued by the participant and useful in their rehabilitation. The tasks could include different parts of morning routines, simple or complex meal planning or preparation, use of cell phone, leisure activities, or other household and community activities. At best the skills are generalized throughout all everyday activities, and the OTs' role as a cognitive mediator fades as participants internalize the strategies. The participants receive PRPP intervention 3 times a week for 3 weeks, every session last for 45-60 minutes.

The participants' task mastery and cognitive strategy use will be measured at least 5 times in each phase: baseline, intervention, after the intervention, and 4 weeks after the discharge from rehabilitation. The measurement scores at baseline act controls and are therefore compared with the other phases for the same participant. The same procedure will be repeated for the other participants, but then with a staggered intervention phase. A staggered intervention phase acts as a control between participants and allows to see if changes occur only when the intervention is introduced.

Implications for practice: The investigators assume that this systematic intervention will improve everyday task performance, and will in turn contribute to empowerment and independence of older adults with cognitive challenges after brain injuries.


Eligibility Criteria:
Inclusion Criteria:

* Admission to the health centres in the two municipalities
* Acquired brain injury
* Mastery under 85% of PRPP Assessment stage 1

Exclusion Criteria:

* An already diagnosed dementia or progressive brain disorder
* Congenital brain injury or neurological developmental disorder
* Not able to understand or hear instructions, due to foreign language, severe hearing loss or severe arousal problems
* Physical disabilities that hinder performance of most daily activities.
* If a participant show mastery above 85% of PRPP Assessment stage 1, the participant either need to be assessed in more taxonomic difficult activities or will be excluded with 'no cognitive challenges in occupational performance'.