Rehabilitation of attention deficits in traumatic brain injury
Date
2018-09-14
Authors
Penkman, Louise Carol
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Abstract
In the current study, I investigated the question of whether there is a specific effect for the administration of attention retraining above and beyond a supportive, adjustment-oriented approach in improving attentional functioning in individuals with traumatic brain injuries (TBI). Neuropsychological, neurophysiological (event-related potentials), and self-report measures were collected for five participants in a single case modified multiple baseline cross-over design. Each participant underwent a six week baseline phase, six weeks participation in Attention Process Training (APT) and six weeks participation in an Active Control condition. Dependent measures were collected at two week intervals throughout the study. Data were analyzed using graphing and visual inspection. Results indicate that attention retraining produces the most change on neuropsychological and event-related potential measures, as compared to an adjustment-focused therapeutic approach. Event-related potentials were found to be the most sensitive measure, with all participants demonstrating change in either latency or amplitude of the P300 or N200 evoked potential. These findings support the continued use of attention retraining as a valuable rehabilitative tool. Neurophysiological data support the hypothesis that underlying neuronal change may occur as a result of participation in attention retraining. Only two participants demonstrated change on a measure of self-efficacy and it was not possible to discern the individual contribution of each therapeutic condition. Two participants demonstrated change on daily ratings of attention problems. For one participant, this coincided with participation in APT; for the other it occurred during participation in the Active Control condition. This suggests that patient characteristics and treatment interactions are an important avenue of future study.
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Keywords
Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, Attention, Testing, Brain damage, Patients, Rehabilitation