title: Executive functioning in TBI from rehabilitation to social reintegration: COMPASS (goal,) a randomized controlled trial (grant: 1I01RX000637-01A3 by the VA ORD RR&D, 2013-2016).
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Traumatic brain injury is a major health problem that frequently leads to deficits in executive function. Self-regulation processes, such as goal-setting, may become disordered after traumatic brain injury, particularly when the frontal regions of the brain and their connections are involved. Such impairments reduce injured veterans' ability to return to work or school and to regain satisfactory personal lives. Understanding the neurologically disabling effects of brain injury on executive function is necessary for both the accurate diagnosis of impairment and the individual tailoring of rehabilitation processes to help returning service members recover independent function.
  
  
  METHODS
  The COMPASS(goal) (Community Participation through Self-Efficacy Skills Development) program develops and tests a novel patient-centered intervention framework for community re-integration psychosocial research in veterans with mild traumatic brain injury. COMPASS(goal) integrates the principles and best practices of goal self-management. Goal setting is a core skill in self-management training by which persons with chronic health conditions learn to improve their status and decrease symptom effects. Over a three-year period, COMPASS(goal) will recruit 110 participants with residual executive dysfunction three months or more post-injury. Inclusion criteria combine both clinical diagnosis and standardized scores that are >1 SD from the normative score on the Frontal Systems Rating Scale. Participants are randomized into two groups: goal-management (intervention) and supported discharge (control). The intervention is administered in eight consecutive, weekly sessions. Assessments occur at enrollment, post-intervention/supported discharge, and three months post-treatment follow-up.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Goal management is part of the "natural language" of rehabilitation. However, collaborative goal-setting between clinicians/case managers and clients can be hindered by the cognitive deficits that follow brain injury. Re-training returning veterans with brain injury in goal management, with appropriate help and support, would essentially treat deficits in executive function. A structured approach to goal self-management may foster greater independence and self-efficacy, help veterans gain insight into goals that are realistic for them at a given time, and help clinicians and veterans to work more effectively as true collaborators.
authors.affiliation: Mental Health Service, Washington DC VA Medical Center, 50 Irving Street, NW, Washington, DC 20422 USA ; MedStar National Rehabilitation Hospital, 102 Irving Street, NW, Washington, DC 20010 USA ; MedStar Health Research Institute, 6525 Belcrest Rd #700, Hyattsville, MD 20782 USA.
authors.forename: Alexander V
authors.initials: AV
authors.lastname: Libin
authors.affiliation: Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Service, Washington DC VA Medical Center, 50 Irving Street, NW, Washington, DC 20422 USA.
authors.forename: Joel
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Scholten
authors.affiliation: MedStar National Rehabilitation Hospital, 102 Irving Street, NW, Washington, DC 20010 USA ; Research Service, Washington DC VA Medical Center, 50 Irving Street, NW, Washington, 20422 DC USA ; MedStar Health Research Institute, 6525 Belcrest Rd #700, Hyattsville, MD 20782 USA.
authors.forename: Manon Maitland
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Schladen
authors.affiliation: Research Service, Washington DC VA Medical Center, 50 Irving Street, NW, Washington, 20422 DC USA.
authors.forename: Ellen
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Danford
authors.affiliation: Research Service, Washington DC VA Medical Center, 50 Irving Street, NW, Washington, 20422 DC USA ; MedStar Health Research Institute, 6525 Belcrest Rd #700, Hyattsville, MD 20782 USA.
authors.forename: Nawar
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Shara
authors.affiliation: Texas A&M College of Medicine, 8447 TX-47, Bryan, TX 77807 USA.
authors.forename: Walter
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Penk
authors.affiliation: Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago, 345 E Superior St., Chicago, IL 60611 USA.
authors.forename: Jordan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Grafman
authors.affiliation: Research Service, Providence VA Medical Center, 830 Chalkstone Ave, Providence, RI 02908 USA.
authors.forename: Linda
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Resnik
authors.affiliation: Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Service, Washington DC VA Medical Center, 50 Irving Street, NW, Washington, DC 20422 USA.
authors.forename: Dwan
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Bruner
authors.affiliation: Research Service, Washington DC VA Medical Center, 50 Irving Street, NW, Washington, 20422 DC USA.
authors.forename: Samantha
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Cichon
authors.affiliation: MedStar National Rehabilitation Hospital, 102 Irving Street, NW, Washington, DC 20010 USA.
authors.forename: Miriam
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Philmon
authors.affiliation: MedStar National Rehabilitation Hospital, 102 Irving Street, NW, Washington, DC 20010 USA.
authors.forename: Brenda
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Tsai
authors.affiliation: Research Service, Washington DC VA Medical Center, 50 Irving Street, NW, Washington, 20422 DC USA.
authors.forename: Marc
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Blackman
authors.affiliation: MedStar National Rehabilitation Hospital, 102 Irving Street, NW, Washington, DC 20010 USA ; Research Service, Washington DC VA Medical Center, 50 Irving Street, NW, Washington, 20422 DC USA.
authors.forename: Alexander
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Dromerick
keywords: Community re-integration; Executive function; Goal-setting; Manualized psychosocial intervention; Randomized controlled trial; Traumatic brain injury; Veterans