Training in Goal-directed Attention Regulation for Individuals With Brain Injury

VA Office of Research and Development

Status: Completed

Conditions: Brain Injury

Treatments: Behavioral: training in goal-directed attention regulation; Behavioral: brain health education; Behavioral: computer-assisted training in goal-directed attention regulation

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other; Other U.S. Federal agency

Identifiers

NCT01035606

B4605-I

Details and patient eligibility

About

Brain injuries affect the lives of numerous Veterans. This study examines how the brain is affected by injury and how rehabilitation training for attention dysfunction may change brain functioning.

Full description

Traumatic brain injuries (TBI) are a leading cause of long-term disability among combat Veterans. The most common and persistent sequelae after TBI are cognitive-behavioral deficits in 'executive control' and 'attention' functions. Such abnormalities may directly contribute to poor long-term outcomes as well as impede rehabilitation of dysfunction in other cognitive and motor domains. Effective treatments would potentially make a major impact in improving functional outcomes, but consistently effective treatments are not available. The overall goal of this research is to improve the investigators' understanding of plasticity in brain function after TBI and to develop improved cognitive neurorehabilitation treatments. The intervention involves individual and group-based training in cognitive skills.

Enrollment: 49 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18 to 75 years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• history of traumatic brain injury
• greater than 1 week from injury
• residual dysfunction related to attention and executive control

Exclusion criteria

• aphasia
• active illicit drug use
• severe depression
• contraindications to MRI scanning

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)

---

49 participants in 3 patient groups

Goal-oriented Attention Regulation Training

Experimental group

Description:

training in goal-directed attention regulation

Treatment:

Behavioral: training in goal-directed attention regulation

Education

Active Comparator group

Description:

brain health education

Treatment:

Behavioral: brain health education

Technology-assisted Goal-directed Self-Regulation Training

Experimental group

Description:

computer-assisted training in goal-directed attention regulation

Treatment:

Behavioral: computer-assisted training in goal-directed attention regulation