title: Treatment of metaphor interpretation deficits subsequent to traumatic brain injury.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To improve oral interpretation of metaphors by patients with traumatic brain injury (TBI).
  
  
  METHODS
  Both single subject experimental design and group analysis.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients' homes.
  
  
  METHODS
  Eight adult patients with moderate to severe traumatic brain injury sustained 3 to 20 years before testing.
  
  
  METHODS
  The Metaphor Training Program consisted typically of 10 baseline sessions, 3 to 9 1-hour sessions of structured intervention, and 10 posttraining baseline sessions. Training used extensive practice with simple graphic displays to illustrate semantic associations.
  
  
  METHODS
  Quality of orally produced metaphor interpretation and accuracy of line orientation judgments served as dependent measures obtained during baseline, training, posttraining, and at a 3- to 4-month follow-up. Untrained line orientation judgments provided a control measure.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Group data showed significant improvement in metaphor interpretation but not in line orientation. Six of 8 patients individually demonstrated significant improvement in metaphor interpretation. Gains persisted for 3 of the 6 patients at the 3- to 4-month follow-up.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The Metaphor Training Program can improve cognitive-communication performance for individuals with moderate to severe traumatic brain injury. Results support the potential for treating patients' residual cognitive-linguistic deficits.
authors: Boston College, Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts (Dr Brownell); Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts (Drs Brownell, Lundgren, and Katz and Mss Cayer-Meade and Milione); VA Boston Healthcare System, West Roxbury, Massachusetts (Drs Brownell and Lundgren and Mss Cayer-Meade and Milione); The University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Greensboro (Dr Lundgren); Braintree Rehabilitation Hospital, Braintree, Massachusetts (Dr Katz); and State University of New York at Fredonia, Fredonia, NY (Dr Kearns).
authors: Hiram
authors: H
authors: Brownell
authors: Kristine
authors: K
authors: Lundgren
authors: Carol
authors: C
authors: Cayer-Meade
authors: Janet
authors: J
authors: Milione
authors: Douglas I
authors: DI
authors: Katz
authors: Kevin
authors: K
authors: Kearns
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001930:Brain Injuries / Q000150:complications / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy*; D003147:Communication Disorders / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D019365:Metaphor; D008875:Middle Aged; D012660:Semantics