Article

Efficacy of Time Pressure Management in stroke patients with slowed information processing: a
randomized controlled trial. OBJECTIVE: To examine the effects of a Time Pressure
Management (TPM) strategy taught to stroke patients with mental slowness,
compared with the effects of care as usual. DESIGN: Randomized controlled trial
with outcome assessments conducted at baseline, at the end of treatment (at
5-10wk), and at 3 months. SETTING: Eight Dutch rehabilitation centers.
PARTICIPANTS: Stroke patients (N=37; mean age +/- SD, 51.5+/-9.7y) in
rehabilitation programs who had a mean Barthel score +/- SD at baseline of
19.6+/-1.1. INTERVENTION: Ten hours of treatment teaching patients a TPM strategy
to compensate for mental slowness in real-life tasks.
MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES:
Mental Slowness Observation Test and Mental Slowness Questionnaire. RESULTS:
Patients were randomly assigned to the experimental treatment (n=20) and to care
as usual (n=17). After 10 hours of treatment, both groups showed a significant
decline in number of complaints on the Mental Slowness Questionnaire. This
decline was still present at 3 months. At 3 months, the Mental Slowness
Observation Test revealed significantly higher increases in speed of performance
of the TPM group in comparison with the care-as-usual group (t=-2.7, P=.01).
CONCLUSIONS: Although the TPM group and the care-as-usual group both showed fewer
complaints after a 3-month follow-up period, only the TPM group showed improved
speed of performance on everyday tasks. Use of TPM treatment therefore is
recommended when treating stroke patients with mental slowness.

Langue : ANGLAIS