Affiliations: [a] Neuropediatric Unit, Astrid Lindgren's Children's Hospital, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden | [b] Department of Child Neurology, University Central Hospital, Helsinki, Finland | [c] Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Karolinska Institute, Danderyds Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden | [d] Children's University Hospital, Lund, Sweden
Correspondence:
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Address for correspondence: Ingrid van 't Hooft, Neuropsychiatric Unit, Astrid Lindgren's Children's Hospital, Karolinska Hospital, SE-17176 Stockholm, Sweden. Tel.: +46 8 51777538; Fax: +46 8 51777544; E-mail: Ingrid.Hagberg-vant-Hooft@karolinska.se
Abstract: The overall aim of the present study was to assess in greater detail the sustained effects of a broad-based cognitive training programme on the neuropsychological performance of children with acquired brain injury. In particular, the long term (6 months) effects on cognitive functions, as well as how various moderators (gender, age at the time of injury/diagnosis, time since injury/diagnosis, age at the training) might influence outcome were investigated. A group of 38 children, 9–16 years of age, with various types of acquired brain injury had earlier been randomly assigned into treatment and control groups. These two groups had first been assessed directly after completion of the training and were now reassessed 6 months later. The treatment group exhibited significantly more persistent improvements with respect to complex tasks of attention and memory in comparison to the control group. In contrast there were no differences on simple reaction time tests. We conclude that the long term effects on cognitive functions of this broad-based neuro-cognitive training is encouraging. These positive results should be further investigated in larger more specific diagnostic groups and in different settings.
Keywords: Cognitive training, training effects, acquired brain injuries, children
