Strengthening Neuro-Cognitive Skills for Success in School, Work and Beyond
VA Office of Research and Development
Summary
For many Veterans, success in achieving goals at work, school and in other aspects of life are top priorities. The abilities to regulate attention, remember key information, and stay calm and on track are fundamental to this success. Unfortunately, Veterans who have experienced a traumatic brain injury (TBI) often struggle with these very abilities, and a number of barriers can make it difficult for them to access the help Veterans need. Tele-rehabilitation has the potential to overcome some of these barriers and increase access to care, enabling providers to better reach Veterans 'where they are' in their communities. This project will assess two different approaches to brain injury rehabilitation that seek to help Veterans build personal strengths to better accomplish their goals. Both approaches will be delivered remotely via tele-rehabilitation and augmented by digital apps to best support Veterans' learning in community settings outside the VA.
Description
This project will offer two training approaches targeting difficulties with goal-directed functioning associated with traumatic brain injury. Both approaches will be delivered remotely via tele-rehabilitation and augmented by digital apps - an intervention framework that addresses known barriers to engagement (e.g., convenience and access) and provides tools to intensify training. The study will be open to eligible Veterans (ages 21-60 years old) with history of mild-to-moderate TBI who experience difficulties with cognitive-emotional regulation and goal-directed functioning. After screening f…
Eligibility
- Age range
- 21–60 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- No
Inclusion Criteria: * Post 9/11 Veterans * age 21-60; with history of mild-moderate TBI (including reported mechanism of head injury and alteration of consciousness); * in the chronic, stable phase of recovery (\>6 months from injury); with at least 1 self-reported cognitive symptom, --including difficulties with working memory; and interested in goal-setting and intensive training. Exclusion Criteria: * Severely apathetic/abulic, aphasic, or other reasons for being unable or unwilling to participate in training; * severe cognitive dysfunction (below 2 standard deviations on two composite c…
Interventions
- BehavioralBrainStrong-GSR
Goal-directed State Regulation Training (GSR)
- BehavioralBrainStrong-OPT
Optimization of Brain Functioning (OPT)
Location
- VA Northern California Health Care System, Mather, CASacramento, California