When directions fail: Investigation of getting lost behaviour in adults with acquired brain injury.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate and describe getting lost behaviour and wayfinding strategies among acquired brain injury (ABI) survivors and matched controls.


METHODS
Matched control group comparison design.


METHODS
This study compared wayfinding performance of 18 adults with acquired brain injury to controls matched for gender, age and education. Participants followed written directions along an eight-step route in an unfamiliar neighbourhood, with three intentionally challenging choice-points. They used a cellular phone to request assistance if they became lost. Dependent measures included accuracy, directness and wayfinding strategy. Statistical and qualitative analyses explored group themes and differences.


RESULTS
Participants with ABI demonstrated significantly greater on-route wayfinding errors and hesitancy than matched controls. The ABI group requested assistance over the cell phone more frequently than controls and required more attempts at re-orientation with concrete, salient directions in order to re-orient in the field. Participants in the control group anticipated errors with greater frequency than those with ABI.


CONCLUSIONS
ABI survivors demonstrated greater challenges with wayfinding than matched controls. Re-orientation required concrete, explicit redirection with reference to salient landmarks. Implications for clinical practice and assistive technology are discussed.
Lemoncello
Rik
R
Speech & Hearing Sciences, Portland State University, Portland, OR, USA. rrl@pdx.edu
Sohlberg
McKay Moore
MM
Fickas
Stephen
S
D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001930:Brain Injuries / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology / Q000534:rehabilitation; D003657:Decision Making / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009949:Orientation / Q000502:physiology*; D011340:Problem Solving / Q000502:physiology*; D011597:Psychomotor Performance / Q000502:physiology; D013647:Task Performance and Analysis