A large proportion of patients with ABI have cognitive deficits that affect the way they communicate. Cognitive difficulties with attention, memory, executive functions and so on affect social communication. Without successful social skills, a person may engage in conflicts, become isolated and be denied access to social and vocational opportunities. Internationally, several group interventions have been developed for treating social communication difficulties during the last years. Group Interactive Structured Treatment (GIST) is a validated holistic multidisciplinary group treatment targeting social communication skills after traumatic brain injury. The main aim of the present study is to examine the efficacy of GIST for improving social communication in persons with acquired brain injury, including TBI, stroke, tumor ect. Secondary the study aims to compare the standard GIST protocol to an newly developed intensive GIST protocol. Efficacy will be assessed immediately after intervention, but also three and six months after the intervention. The project is in line with international research efforts aimed to establish more knowledge about group treatment for persons with social communication disorders after ABI.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE
Enrollment
49
13 group modules will be administered to outpatients in 12 x 2,5-3 hours sessions. Manualized intervention; In every group session a new topic is presented, discussed and practiced in group exercises. Homework assignments between sessions.
13 group modules will be administered to inpatients during 4 weeks in hospital. Participants is admitted to a hospital unit for cognitive rehabilitation treating patients in acute and/or cronic phase. The participants are given extended leave every weekend to work on homework Assignments between each treatment week.
Sunnaas rehabilitation hospital
Nesoddtangen, Norway
La Trobe Questionnaire.
The LaTrobe Communication Questionnaire (LCQ) is a 30-item questionnaire that measures communication ability, a subjective outcome measure. Various communication behaviours are rated on a 4-point scale: 1¼never or rarely, 2¼sometimes, 3¼often and 4¼usually or always, but six items require a reverse in the scoring. Higher scores reflect reduced communications skills. The tool was developed to obtain information from various sources (e.g. self -rating by individual with TBI, rating by support person).
Time frame: Change from baseline up to 6 months
Profile of Pragmatic Impairment in Communication (PPIC)
PPIC is an objective measure of social communication skills designed specifically for use with people with TBI. It includes 10 feature summary scales that assess communication skills on a 6-point scale from normative (0) to very severely impaired (5), with lower scores indicating better performance. These summary scales-logical content; general participation; quantity; quality; internal relation; external relation; clarity of expression; social style; subject matter; and aesthetics.
Time frame: Change from baseline up to 6 months
Mind in the eyes test
This test consists of 36 black- and-white pictures of the eye region. The images are presented one by one, along with four adjectives (one target word and three foil words).
Time frame: Change from baseline up to 6 months
Goal Attainment Scaling (GAS)
Goal Attainment Scaling (GAS) is a flexible system of measuring outcome goals, based on a 5-point scale. Levels of goal attainment are expressed objectively in terms of concrete behaviors that can be observed and recorded.
Time frame: Change from baseline up to 6 months
Behavior Rating Inventory for Executive Functions (BRIEF)
BRIEF is a 75-item self and other questionnaire that measures executive functions (inhibition, shift, emotional control, self-monitoring, initiative, working memory, planning/organizing, task monitoring, organizing of materials)communication ability. Various executive behaviours are rated on a 3-point scale.
Time frame: Change from baseline up to 6 months
Social competence checklist
Is an interview where the participant and close family member answer 6 yes or no answers regarding the participants social communication skills. The interview is found in the GIST protocol developed by Hawley and Newman 2002.
Time frame: Change from baseline up to 6 months
CIQ (Community Integration Questionnaire)
The Community Integration Questionnaire (CIQ) is a community integration outcome measure developed for TBI subjects; its social integration and productivity subscales were used for this study. Frequency of such activities as shopping, leisure pursuits, visiting friends or relatives, travel, and one's work, school, or volunteer situation, are scored on a 15-item scale; a higher score indicates greater integration.
Time frame: Change from baseline up to 6 months
Norwegian Version of the General Perceived Self-Efficacy Scale
is a 20-item questionnaire that measures self-efficacy rated by a 4-point scale.
Time frame: Change from baseline up to 6 months
Norwegian Quality of Life Scale (PQoL),
is a 20-item questionnaire that measures quality of life, a subjective outcome measure. The quality of life is rated in a 0-10 point scale. Higher scores reflect high quality of life.
Time frame: Change from baseline up to 6 months
Symptom Checklist (SCL-10)
To document self-reported psychological problems and symptoms of psychopathology, the Symptom Checklist 90-R was used.
Time frame: Change from baseline up to 6 months
Social Communication Questionnaire with additional questions (SCQ-A)
SCQ-A is a 37-item questionnaire that measures communication ability, a subjective outcome measure. Various communication behaviours are rated on a 5-point scale. Higher scores reflect reduced communications
Time frame: Change from baseline up to 6 months
This platform is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional.