Feasibility Testing of Cognitive Strategy Training in Post-Concussive Syndrome

University of Missouri-Columbia15 enrolled

Overview

This study will evaluate the practicality (i.e. acceptability to stakeholders; outcome battery feasibility; recruitment, retention, and adherence rates) and the preliminary effect of a cognitive strategy training intervention in adults with post-concussive syndrome.

Up to 90% of known traumatic brain injuries are classified as mild, with many more injuries likely going undetected. While each of these individuals experiences somatic, cognitive, and/or affective symptoms acutely following the injury, an estimated 10-15% will continue to experience these symptoms for months up to a year post-injury. The persistence of symptoms for three months or greater is termed post-concussive syndrome (PCS) and can lead to decreases in academics, job performance, leisure, daily life activities, and routines. Traditionally, rehabilitation is either not provided to these individuals or has a specific focus on alleviating impairments (e.g. sustained attention) instead of mitigating effects on daily life function. Transfer of improvements in said impairments is known to be limited. Cognitive Orientation to daily Occupational Performance (CO-OP), a type of metacognitive strategy training, has known positive effects on activity performance outcomes in acquired brain injury (e.g. subacute and chronic stroke; moderate traumatic brain injury)1-5. CO-OP has yet to be evaluated in a sample of individuals with PCS. In sum, (1) CO-OP is an evidence-based intervention for improving activity performance, and (2) it is reasonable to hypothesize that the positive effects of CO-OP may be applied in PCS to overcome similar cognitive difficulties to improve activity performance. The central research hypothesis is that a functionally-oriented metacognitive strategy training intervention, CO-OP, will be feasible and have a positive effect on activity performance in individuals with PCS syndrome. A single-group, prospective design with outcomes gathered pre-and post-intervention will be used (n=15) to evaluate the acceptability and feasibility of CO-OP in PCS. We will also be evaluating effect size on outcome measures of activity performance and perceptions of the functional impact of PCS symptoms. Specific Aim 1: Determine the feasibility of CO-OP in Post-Concussive Syndrome. Hypothesis 1.1: Participants will report positive perceptions of the intervention via scores greater than 3 on the Client-Satisfaction Questionnaire. Hypothesis 1.2: The study will demonstrate acceptable recruitment, retention, and adherence rates. Hypothesis 1.3: The proposed assessment battery will be feasible (average completion time \<2 hours). Specific Aim 2: Explore the preliminary effect of CO-OP in a sample of individuals with PCS on activity performance outcomes. Hypothesis 2.1: The CO-OP group will demonstrate improvements in activity performance outcomes.

Study Type

INTERVENTIONAL

Allocation

Purpose

TREATMENT

Masking

NONE

Enrollment

Conditions

Brain Concussion Post-Concussion Syndrome

Interventions

CO-OP GroupBEHAVIORAL

CO-OP focuses on learning of a global problem-solving strategy, Goal-Plan-Do-Check (GPDC), within the performance of participant-chosen goals. Use of a broadly applicable strategy and meaningful activity ensures the intervention is salient to the participant and increases likelihood of transfer. Uniquely, therapists applying CO-OP use guided discovery methods, such as asking a series of probing questions, to support participants in analyzing their own performance of a given task and generating potential solutions for improving performance. Participants become equipped with these skills through repetitive application of the GPDC process. First, participants identify a specific goal (Goal). Then, participants consider a detailed plan (Plan) for accomplishing the goal. By carrying out the plan (Do) and critically analyzing the results (Check), participants determine how the plan worked. The intervention focuses on learning GPDC with gradual withdrawal of guided discovery methods.

Eligibility

Sex: ALLMin age: 18 YearsMax age: 60 Years

Medical Language ↔ Plain English

Inclusion Criteria: * Participants will be included if have a physician diagnosis of mTBI or if they meet the following criteria for mild traumatic brain injury established by the American Congress of rehabilitation Medicine including a traumatically induced physiological disruption of brain function, as manifested by at least one of the following: any loss of consciousness, any loss of memory for events immediately before or after the accident, any alteration in mental state at the time of the accident (e.g., feeling dazed, disoriented, or confused), and focal neurologic deficit(s) that may or may not be transient; severity of injury should not exceed a loss of consciousness \>30 minutes, at 30 minutes post-injury a Glasgow Coma Scale score more severe than 13-15, or post-traumatic amnesia \>24 hours. * One or more post-concussive symptoms persisting for greater than 4 weeks that is inhibiting performance of one or more daily activities * Age 18-60 years Exclusion Criteria: * Any additional severe neurologic or psychiatric conditions * severe depressive symptoms per a score of \>21 on the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) * inability to read, write, and speak English fluently * lack of transportation to intervention sessions

Locations (1)

University of Missouri-Columbia

Columbia, Missouri, United States

Outcomes

Primary Outcomes

Client Satisfaction Questionnaire-8

Self-report, 8 item measures of intervention acceptability

Time frame: post-intervention only (10 weeks post-baseline)

recruitment rate

number enrolled/numberscreened AND Total # enrolled