Clinical neuropsychology has much to offer with respect to improving everyday functioning and quality of life for people with neuropsychological conditions. This symposium will showcase neuropsychological intervention research across acquired brain injury, psychiatric and progressive neurological conditions.
A/Prof Voelbel will outline how computerized cognitive training for a cohort of people with traumatic brain injury was associated with improvements in scores on performance-based tests of attention and working memory and self-report of functional cognition, and that these gains were associated with functional connectivity and white matter microstructure using fMRI and DTI.
Prof Weyer-Jamora will outline her laboratory’s investigation of tele-cognitive rehabilitation for improving work status in primary brain cancer survivors in a retrospective review of post-treatment, radiologically stable adult primary brain cancer patients. Participants who underwent vocationally focused intervention were more likely to have improved work status compared to the control group.
Prof Ponsford will detail the results of a randomized controlled trial investigating the efficacy of cognitive behavior therapy versus health education for sleep disturbance and fatigue following acquired brain injury. The importance of this study is underscored by the finding that sleep disturbance and fatigue are highly prevalent after acquired brain injury, and associated with poorer functional outcomes. Intervention was delivered in person or via video telehealth and the CBT group showed better sleep and less fatigue post-treatment, with treatment gains maintained over time.
Prof Twamley will present the findings of a study investigating compensatory cognitive training for unstably housed veterans in residential mental health treatment. This population is characterised by high rates of traumatic brain injury (TBI), psychiatric illness, substance abuse, and other medical conditions that are associated with cognitive impairment. Compared to a holistic cognitive education control group, participants receiving 10 sessions of compensatory cognitive training showed improved objective attention/vigilance and a trend toward reduced self-reported neurobehavioral symptoms.
Prof De Luca will describe a double-blind, placebo-controlled randomized clinical trial investigating the impact on functional status of speed of processing training (SOPT) in persons with multiple sclerosis. Following 10 sessions twice weekly of SOPT, a restorative computerized cognitive intervention, the intervention group improved in processing speed relative to an active placebo control group and the gains were maintained after 6 months. The intervention group also demonstrated improvements on a performance-based measure of activities of daily living and quality of life at 6-month follow-up.
These presentations highlight the valuable contribution of neuropsychology in the design, implementation and evaluation of diverse behavioural interventions to improve primary and functional cognition, everyday functioning, employment status, energy conservation, and quality of life across a range of neuropsychological conditions.
Gerald Voelbel, New York University, New York, United States Hannah Lindsey, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, United States Joseph Rath, NYU Langone Health, New York, United States Tamara Bushnik, NYU Langone Health, New York, United States
Christina Weyer Jamora, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, United States Melissa Brie, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, United States Paige Bracci, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, United States Jennie Taylor, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, United States Ellen Smith, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, United States
Jennie Ponsford, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia Lucy Ymer, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia Adam McKay, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia Dana Wong, LaTrobe University, Melbourne, Australia Kate Frencham, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia
Amber Keller, UCSD, La Jolla, United States Jacqueline Maye, VA San Diego Healthcare System, San Diego, United States Tara Austin, VA San Diego Healthcare System, San Diego, United States Jessica Zakrzewski, UCSD, La Jolla, United States Delaney Pickell, VA San Diego Healthcare System, San Diego, United States
John DeLuca, Kessler Foundation, West Orange, United States Nancy Chiaravalloti, Kessler Foundation, East Hanover, United States Silvana Costa, Kessler Foundation, East Hanover, United States Yael Goverover, New York University, New York, United States
