Occupation-Based Strategy Training for Adults With Traumatic Brain Injury: A Pilot Study

Objective

To evaluate, before undertaking a larger trial, feasibility of the study processes to determine the effectiveness of occupation-based strategy training for producing changes on trained real-world behaviors, and to determine whether far transfer of training effects to measures of real-world impact, including participation in everyday life, could be achieved.

Design

Partially randomized controlled trial with pre- and postintervention assessments done by assessors masked to the treatment arm.

Setting

Testing occurred at a research institute, interventions at participants' homes.

Participants

People (N=13) with chronic traumatic brain injury (TBI), 7 in the experimental group (mean age, 42.6y; mean time post-TBI, 9.8y; 4 men) and 6 in the control arm (mean age, 40.5y; mean time post-TBI, 10.8y; 3 men), were assessed immediately before and after the intervention phase.

Intervention

Occupation-based strategy training, an adapted version of the Cognitive Orientation to daily Occupational Performance (CO-OP), was provided in two 1-hour sessions per week for 10 weeks.

Main Outcome Measures

Canadian Occupational Performance Measure, Dysexecutive Questionnaire, Mayo-Portland Adaptability Inventory-4 Participation Index, and Assessment of Motor and Process Skills.

Results

The study processes (testing and intervention) were acceptable to all participants. Evidence of far transfer was found as the experimental group improved significantly more than the control group on performance and satisfaction with performance ratings on untrained goals (P<.05), and reported increased levels of participation (P<.01).

Conclusions

Findings must be interpreted with caution since the sample is small and comparisons are made with a no-treatment control. Nevertheless, they suggest that the training is feasible and a larger trial warranted.     

A Preliminary Study to Identify Locomotor-Cognitive Dual Tasks That Reveal Persistent Executive Dysfunction After Mild Traumatic Brain Injury

Objective

To identify different combinations of physical (level, obstacle avoidance, stepping down) and cognitive (visual, mental) demands within a locomotor navigational context that best discriminates between persons with mild traumatic brain injury (MTBI) and control subjects for an eventual clinical tool to assess residual executive dysfunction.

Design

Group comparison study.

Setting

Rehabilitation facility.

Participants

Volunteer sample (N=14) of persons with MTBI (n=7) (6 women; age, 20±1.6y) and a comparison group (n=7) of subjects without neurologic problems (6 women; age, 22.4±1.4y).

Interventions

Not applicable.

Main Outcome Measures

Gait speed (m/s) and dual-task cost calculated as the relative change in gait speed from single (no cognitive task) to dual tasks for the same gait condition.

Results

There were significant interactions between groups and cognitive tasks and between groups and cognitive and physical tasks for gait speed. Specifically, the MTBI group walked slower than control subjects in the dual-task conditions when stepping over an obstacle combined with each cognitive task. When gait speed was measured as dual-task costs, group differences were more evident, except for stepping down.

Conclusions

These preliminary results suggest that both absolute gait speed and calculated dual-task costs during the combination of stepping over an obstacle with a simultaneous cognitive task are sensitive to revealing executive dysfunction in persons with MTBI. Gait speed can be easily measured in the clinic to provide important information to make diagnoses and decide about return to play or function. Continued work building on these preliminary results is needed toward the development of a clinical tool.