Computer-assisted cognitive rehabilitation for the treatment of patients with substance use disorders: a randomized...

The purpose of this study was to examine the comparative efficacy of cognitive rehabilitation as an intervention for substance misuse. Patients with substance use disorders entering long-term residential care (N = 160) were randomly assigned to one of two conditions: (a) standard treatment plus computer-assisted cognitive rehabilitation (CACR), which was designed to improve cognitive performance in areas such as problem solving, attention, memory, and information processing speed; and (b) an equally intensive attention control condition consisting of standard treatment plus a computer-assisted typing tutorial (CATT). Participants were assessed at baseline, during treatment, at treatment completion, and 3-, 6-, 9-, and 12-month follow-up. Intent-to-treat analyses showed that, compared with those randomized to CATT, patients who received CACR were significantly more engaged in treatment (e.g., higher ratings of positive participation by treatment staff, higher ratings of therapeutic alliance), more committed to treatment (e.g., longer stays in residence) and reported better long-term outcomes (e.g., higher percentage of days abstinent after treatment). Mediational analyses revealed the positive comparative effect of CACR on abstinence during the year after treatment was mediated by treatment engagement and length of stay in residence.