Working memory deficits after traumatic brain injury: catecholaminergic mechanisms and prospects for treatment — a review

AbstractTraumatic brain injury (TBI) is associated with a wide range of physiological, behavioral, emotional, and cognitive sequelae. Litigation status is one of the many factors that has an impact on recovery. The aim of this study was to compare executive functions, postconcussion, and depressive symptoms in TBI patients with and without litigation. A sample of 30 patients with TBI, 15 patients with litigation (medicolegal case [MLC]), and 15 without litigation (non-MLC) was assessed. The tools used were sociodemographic and clinical proforma, executive function tests, Rivermead Post-Concussion Symptom Questionnaire, and Beck Depression Inventory. Assessment revealed that more than 50% of patients showed deficits in category fluency, set shifting, and concept formation. The MLC group showed significant impairment on verbal working memory in comparison to the non-MLC group. The performance of both groups was comparable on tests of semantic fluency, visuospatial working memory, concept formation, set shifting, planning, and response inhibition. The MLC group showed more verbal working memory deficits in the absence of significant postconcussion and depressive symptoms on self-report measures.

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Traumatic brain injury alters the functional brain network mediating working memory

Brain Injury ◽

10.3109/02699052.2011.608210 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 25 (12) ◽

pp. 1170-1187 ◽

Cited By ~ 43

Author(s):

Maki Kasahara ◽

David K. Menon ◽

Claire H. Salmond ◽

Joanne G. Outtrim ◽

Joana V. Taylor Tavares ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Traumatic Brain Injury ◽

Working Memory ◽

Brain Injury ◽

Brain Network ◽

Functional Brain ◽

Functional Brain Network

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Combined Memory Training: An Approach for Episodic Memory Deficits in Traumatic Brain Injury

American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology ◽

10.1044/2020_ajslp-20-00075 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 30 (2S) ◽

pp. 920-932

Author(s):

Elisabeth Cochran D'Angelo ◽

Beth A. Ober ◽

Gregory K. Shenaut

Keyword(s):

Traumatic Brain Injury ◽

Brain Injury ◽

Treatment Group ◽

Episodic Memory ◽

Semantic Memory ◽

Memory Deficits ◽

Control Group ◽

Wait List ◽

Wait List Control Group ◽

Wait List Control

Purpose The study aimed to test a combination of semantic memory and traditional episodic memory therapies on episodic memory deficits in adults with traumatic brain injury. Method Twenty-five participants who had been diagnosed with traumatic brain injury and had episodic memory deficits were randomly assigned either to a combined memory treatment group ( n = 16) or to a wait-list control group ( n = 9). Before and after treatment, they completed standardized neuropsychological testing for episodic memory and related cognitive domains, including the California Verbal Learning Test–Second Edition, the Controlled Oral Word Association Test, the University of Southern California Repeatable Episodic Memory Test, the Wechsler Abbreviated Scale of Intelligence–Second Edition Matrices, the Test of Everyday Attention, the Memory Assessment Clinics Self-Rating Scale, the Expressive Vocabulary Test–Second Edition, and the Story Recall subtest from the Rivermead Behavioural Memory Test. In addition to a traditional episodic memory therapy, the treatment group received a novel semantic memory–focused therapy, which involved participants finding meaningful connections between diverse concepts represented by sets of two or three words. Results The treatment group demonstrated statistically significant improvement in memory for list learning tasks, and there was a significant difference from pretest to posttest between the treatment group and the wait-list control group. Clinical significance was demonstrated for the treatment group using minimally important difference calculations. Conclusion Combined memory therapy resulted in significant improvements in episodic memory, semantic memory, and attention, in comparison to no treatment. Supplemental Material https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.14049968

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