Cognitive training improves executive function and self-efficacy in young women with chronic stroke: a pilot study

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Rehabilitation Medicine
• Cognitive Psychology

Background:

• Stroke incidence is rising among young women, often leading to lasting executive function deficits.
• These deficits significantly impair daily functioning and quality of life.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the feasibility and effectiveness of a strategy-based cognitive training program, Strategic Memory Advanced Reasoning Training (SMART).
• To improve executive function and related outcomes in young women who have experienced a stroke.

Main Methods:

• Eight young women with chronic stroke and eight matched controls underwent 10 SMART sessions over 5 weeks.
• Pre- and post-training assessments measured executive function, daily living skills, psychosocial functioning, and program feasibility.

Main Results:

• Stroke participants showed improvements in executive function (abstraction, memory, fluency), cognitive self-efficacy, and stress levels.
• Controls also improved in cognitive self-efficacy; stroke survivors highly rated the program's feasibility.

Conclusions:

• SMART shows promise as an intervention to enhance cognitive and functional recovery in young women with stroke.
• Further large-scale research is warranted to confirm these findings.