Occupation-based strategy training for adults with traumatic brain injury: a pilot study

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Rehabilitation Medicine
• Occupational Therapy

Background:

• Chronic traumatic brain injury (TBI) often leads to persistent challenges in daily functioning and participation.
• Effective interventions are needed to improve real-world behaviors and quality of life for individuals with TBI.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the feasibility of occupation-based strategy training for individuals with chronic TBI.
• To determine if this training improves real-world behaviors and leads to far transfer effects in daily life participation.

Main Methods:

• A partially randomized controlled trial was conducted with 13 participants with chronic TBI.
• The experimental group received occupation-based strategy training (adapted CO-OP) for 10 weeks, while the control group received no treatment.
• Assessments included measures of occupational performance, executive function, and participation, conducted by masked assessors.

Main Results:

• The occupation-based strategy training was feasible and acceptable to participants.
• The experimental group showed significant improvements in performance and satisfaction on untrained goals compared to the control group.
• Participants in the experimental group reported significantly increased levels of participation in everyday life.

Conclusions:

• Occupation-based strategy training is a feasible intervention for individuals with chronic TBI.
• The training demonstrated potential for far transfer effects, improving real-world functioning and participation.
• A larger trial is warranted to further evaluate the effectiveness of this intervention.