title: Digital Gaming for Improving the Functioning of People With Traumatic Brain Injury: Protocol of a Feasibility Study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a critical public health problem. The recovery process for people with TBI is typically slow and dependent on complex and intensive assisted rehabilitation programs.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the effects and feasibility of digital games for cognitive functioning and general well-being among people with traumatic brain injury.
  
  
  METHODS
  This is a single-site feasibility study conducted in Finland, which uses a pragmatic, randomized controlled trial with three arms, and will recruit patients from the Turku University Hospital, Division of Clinical Neurosciences in Finland. Participants must meet the following inclusion criteria: (1) a Finnish speaking adult, aged 18-65 years; (2) diagnosed with a traumatic brain injury (diagnostic criteria ICD-10, S06.X, T90.5) in the University Hospital; (3) access to a TV, a computer, and the Internet at home; (4) not an active digital gamer (5 hours or less a week); (5) willing to participate in the study. Participants must have been discharged from the neurologic treatment period for traumatic brain injury for over 12 months before the commencement of the trial, and they may not have actively participated in cognitive rehabilitation during the 3 months prior to the trial. Written informed consent will be mandatory for acceptance into the trial. Exclusion criteria are as follows: (1) sensory, cognitive, or physical impairment (eg, severe cognitive impairment); (2) a deficiency restricting the use of computers or computer game control system unaided (eg, impairment in vision, severe astigmatism, hemiplegia, disorder in visuospatial perception, dysfunction of the central vestibular system); (3) apathy identified in previous neuropsychological evaluations; (4) diagnosed severe mental disorders (eg, schizophrenia or severe depressive disorders to be identified in medical records as the secondary diagnosis).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The preparatory phase for the study is fulfilled. Recruitment started in June 2015 and finished November 2015. Results will be reported in 2016.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The specific outcomes such as primary outcome measures were selected because they are widely used psychological tests and thought to be sensitive to changes in the cognitive functions related to TBI.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  Clinicaltrials.gov NCT02425527; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02425527 (Archived by WebCite at http://www.webcitation.org/6esKI1uDH).
authors: Faculty of Medicine, Department of Nursing Science, University of Turku, Finland. mava@utu.fi.
authors: Maritta
authors: http://orcid.org/0000-0003-3124-9290
authors: M
authors: Välimäki
authors: Jyrki
authors: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-7933-5158
authors: J
authors: Korkeila
authors: Kaisa
authors: http://orcid.org/0000-0003-1489-1433
authors: K
authors: Kauppi
authors: Johanna K
authors: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2970-826X
authors: JK
authors: Kaakinen
authors: Suvi
authors: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-0885-3281
authors: S
authors: Holm
authors: Jukka
authors: http://orcid.org/0000-0001-5835-5945
authors: J
authors: Vahlo
authors: Olli
authors: http://orcid.org/0000-0003-1876-3180
authors: O
authors: Tenovuo
authors: Heikki
authors: http://orcid.org/0000-0003-4556-4275
authors: H
authors: Hämäläinen
authors: Jaana
authors: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-6432-0295
authors: J
authors: Sarajuuri
authors: Pekka
authors: http://orcid.org/0000-0001-5816-7266
authors: P
authors: Rantanen
authors: Tage
authors: http://orcid.org/0000-0001-7952-9764
authors: T
authors: Orenius
authors: Aki
authors: http://orcid.org/0000-0003-3309-4771
authors: A
authors: Koponen
keywords: brain injury; cognitive rehabilitation; digital games