Retraining working memory after traumatic brain injury

Article type: Research Article

Authors: Parente, Rick^{a; *} | Kolakowsky-Hayner, Stephanie^b | Krug, Kevin^a | Wilk, Christopher^a

Affiliations: [a] Towson University, Towson, MD 21252, USA | [b] Medical College of Virginia, VA, USA

Correspondence: [*] 1212 Brokview Road, Towson, MD 21286, USA. Tel.: +1 410 830 3073; Fax: +1 410 337 9666; E-mail: rparente@towson.edu or jenet@erols.com

Abstract: The function of working memory has not been investigated in a brain injured population. There are no generally accepted measures of working memory. The degree to which these measures correlate with other measures of learning and performance is unclear. The results of several analyses indicated that working memory is a state of active processing that is more than memory span. The two measures of working memory used in this study predicted conventional measures of verbal and visual learning, and retention. They also predicted several different measures of academic skill. The results of a pilot study showed that various therapy activities could improve functioning in working memory.

Keywords: working memory, traumatic brain injury, cognitive rehabilitation

DOI: 10.3233/NRE-1999-13305

Journal: NeuroRehabilitation, vol. 13, no. 3, pp. 157-163, 1999