Article

A deficit of the central executive of working memory is a
frequent finding in patients with severe traumatic brain injury (TBI). The
objective of the present study was to assess the efficacy of a rehabilitation
programme of the central executive after severe TBI. METHOD: An experimental
single-case design was used in two patients with remote severe TBI suffering from
an isolated central executive deficit. Outcome was assessed with specific working
memory tests (spans, Brown Peterson, n-back), non-specific cognitive tasks
requiring working memory (dual-task, arithmetic solving problem), an ecological
questionnaire to assess generalization to everyday life and non-target tasks not
requiring working memory, to assess the specificity of the therapy. RESULTS:
Performance was stable on two baseline sessions before therapy. For both
patients, an improvement was found for target measures, mainly for central
executive tasks, and for the questionnaire on attention failures in everyday
life. In opposition, no change was found for non-target measures. DISCUSSION:
Improvement was not seemingly related to spontaneous recovery, nor to re-test
effects. This study suggests that specific cognitive training may improve the
central executive of working memory in patients with remote severe TBI.

Langue : ANGLAIS