Remediating deficits of switching attention in patients with acquired brain injury.
OBJECTIVE
This study was designed to evaluate the remediating effects of two types of aid on a test of switching attention administered to patients with acquired brain injury (ABI). Based on the separation of cognitive functions suggested by a neural network model, it was hypothesized that external inhibition of obsolete rules, and increased salience of stimuli, would differentially improve the WCST performance of participants with ABI.


METHODS
The Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST) performance of 24 patients with ABI assigned to three treatment groups (no treatment, external inhibition, increased stimulus salience) was compared to normal controls.


RESULTS
External inhibition of learned rules reduced perseverative errors, while increased stimuli salience reduced random errors, committed by patients with ABI.


CONCLUSIONS
The pattern of results supports the separation of functions in switching attention suggested by a neural network model, and establishes minimal aids necessary for remediating deficits associated with ABI.
Amos
Andrew
A
State Head Injury Unit, University of Western Australia, Hospital Avenue, Nedlands, Perth, 6907 WA, Australia. andrewa@freud.psy.uwa.edu.au
D000328:Adult; D001288:Attention / Q000502:physiology; D001921:Brain / Q000503:physiopathology; D001930:Brain Injuries / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D003118:Color Perception / Q000502:physiology; D003194:Computer-Assisted Instruction; D004193:Discrimination Learning / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009415:Nerve Net / Q000503:physiopathology; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D009949:Orientation / Q000502:physiology; D010364:Pattern Recognition, Visual / Q000502:physiology; D012073:Remedial Teaching