1/37. life review of an older adult with memory difficulties.The natural life review process involves emotional processing of events from the individual's past. life review therapy (LRT) addresses issues regarding unresolved conflicts, guilt and resentment which the client has particular difficulty in reviewing independently. People with memory problems may have difficulty mentally manipulating a number of pieces of information at the same time. Since LRT involves recollection of past experiences (events, emotions and relationships) which need to be processed and integrated with the person's current understanding, individuals with memory problems may find this process difficult, though not impossible. This article is written in order to demonstrate that LRT can be useful for people with memory difficulties, provided that individual sessions are tailored to their particular cognitive abilities. A case is presented of an older adult, with above-average intellectual abilities, who became distressed when recollecting her childhood. LRT was conducted in a manner that took account of the memory difficulties and utilized a variety of therapeutic techniques. LRT was beneficial for this client despite her memory difficulties, since, following therapy, she was no longer distressed when thinking about her childhood.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = individual (Clic here for more details about this article) |
2/37. Content-specific confabulation.This report describes a person who confabulated following an anterior communicating artery aneurysm. His confabulation was limited to one very circumscribed area of his life and remained stable for twelve weeks, eventually improving with rehabilitation. It is argued that a content-specific confabulation of this nature challenges current theories of confabulation, and an integrative explanation is given based on previous findings by Burgess and Shallice (1996b) of the mechanisms of autobiographical recollection in healthy people.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 0.13419085813384keywords = health (Clic here for more details about this article) |
3/37. A treatment selection model for weight reduction in adults with acquired brain injury: applications and preliminary findings.This article presents a unique method for providing weight management assistance to persons who have experienced an acquired brain injury (ABI). Most of the available literature on this topic deals with weight loss methods for individuals who are not faced with the cognitive and behavioural challenges inherent in this population. A treatment selection protocol will be described that allows for appropriate selection of behavioural weight loss interventions. Interventions are based upon specific cognitive and behavioural difficulties that individuals with acquired brain injury may present. A detailed case study will also be presented depicting successful use of the treatment selection model with an adult male with an acquired brain injury.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 0.66666666666667keywords = individual (Clic here for more details about this article) |
4/37. Variability of neuropsychological deficits associated with carbon monoxide poisoning: four case reports.Carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning is associated with variable neuropsychological deficits, depending on levels of CO exposure and individual differences. Studies to date have reported variable findings, as their subjects have been exposed to different levels of CO from different poisoning sources. Four unique case studies are presented, all of whom experienced the same level of CO poisoning (17-29%) in the same accident. Two of the individuals were brothers with an identical genetic disorder (i.e. syndactylism) and the other two were brother/sister. The results indicated: (1) variable neuropsychological deficits despite similar levels of CO poisoning; (2) consistent estimated decline in intelligence; (3) similar memory decline for the two brothers, but not for the brother and sister; and (4) consistent late-onset emotional-behavioural difficulties. The results also suggested that the neuropsychological and emotional-behavioural deficits had an impact on the individual's ability to work.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = individual (Clic here for more details about this article) |
5/37. Effects of guided imagery on memory distortion in women reporting recovered memories of childhood sexual abuse.We tested whether having participants imagine unusual childhood events inflates their confidence that these events happened to them, and tested whether this effect is greater in women who report recovered memories of childhood sexual abuse than in women who do not. Participants were pretested on how confident they were that certain childhood events had happened to them before being asked to imagine some of these events in the laboratory. New confidence measures were readministered. Although guided imagery did not significantly inflate confidence that early childhood events had occurred in either group, the effect size of inflated confidence was more than twice as large in the control group as in the group with recovered memory. These data suggest that individuals can counteract memory distortions potentially associated with guided imagery, at least under some conditions.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 0.33333333333333keywords = individual (Clic here for more details about this article) |
6/37. Passive and active processes in visuo-spatial memory: double dissociation in developmental learning disabilities.The distinction between passive and active visuo-spatial memory has been useful to interpret various pattern of deficits reported in individual differences studies. However, this interpretation raises the issue of task difficulty, since active tasks could be failed simply because more complex and the corresponding deficit could reflect a reduced capacity of the system. We describe two children with Nonverbal learning Disability whose performance provides evidence of a dissociation between passive and active memory processes. One of the children showed a selective impairment in passive tasks and performed flawlessly in active tasks, whereas the second child displayed the opposite pattern. These data suggest that a qualitative difference between passive and active processes does exist and that differences in performance do not reflect a lower/higher level of task difficulty. Further, these data underlie the importance of formulating theoretical models of visuo-spatial memory including both material-related (i.e., visual vs spatial) and process-related (i.e., passive vs active) distinctions.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 0.33333333333333keywords = individual (Clic here for more details about this article) |
7/37. Vocational reentry following TBI: an enablement model.OBJECTIVE: To illustrate the importance of environmental factors for optimizing return to work following traumatic brain injury (TBI) using illustrative case examples. DESIGN AND PARTICIPANTS: Three case studies are presented that were selected from an overall sample of 57 TBI survivors. SETIING: Postacute, outpatient TBI rehabilitation program. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Outcome was essentially descriptive and focused on factors associated with successful return to work. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: These case examples point out the necessity of specialized treatment that not only focuses on the specific strengths and weakness of the individual, but also on extant environmental factors, including degree of structure or distractions that either reinforce or preclude optimal performance.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 0.33333333333333keywords = individual (Clic here for more details about this article) |
8/37. Mobile phones as a new memory aid: a preliminary investigation using case studies.memory impairment is one of the most common concerns following a brain injury of any severity. The use of effective external memory aids can help minimize the devastating effects such memory impairment can have on an individual's everyday life. Reviewed in this report are case studies of five individuals suffering significant everyday memory problems that were given a new memory aid that utilizes standard mobile phones. Measurements included diary-format observations and qualitative feedback. The results of the study show promising outcomes for all of the cases, and have led to recent adaptations to allow for wider and more effective use of this memory aid.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 0.66666666666667keywords = individual (Clic here for more details about this article) |
9/37. Is accurate self-monitoring necessary for people with acquired neurological problems to benefit from the use of differential reinforcement methods?Challenging behaviour exhibited by people with acquired neurological problems must be managed if their maximum rehabilitation potential is to be achieved. Differential reinforcement of low rates of responding (DRL) appears to be an effective method for this. The effectiveness of DRL in the presence of severe cognitive deficits, including disorders of attention and memory, is nevertheless surprising. Indeed, such difficulties may prevent individuals with brain injury benefiting from operant conditioning procedures because of impairment of the central executive component of working memory. Consequently, use of other behavioural techniques such as response cost and self-monitoring training (SMT) have been adopted, as it has been argued they circumvent neuropsychological constraints to learning by directing attention to aspects of behaviour not being monitored. DRL, however, may be more desirable as it involves minimal intrusion; is concerned with establishment of pro-social behaviour; and treatment gains can occur rapidly and be maintained for long periods following withdrawal. Whether DRL is dependent upon accurate self-monitoring is addressed through the study of three people participating in rehabilitation. This shows DRL can be effective, despite severe cognitive impairments, but SMT facilitates greater improvements in selective attention. How DRL may circumvent cognitive impairment is discussed.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 0.33333333333333keywords = individual (Clic here for more details about this article) |
10/37. The improvement/rehabilitation of auditory memory functioning with EEG biofeedback.Five clinical case studies (1 normal, 3 brain injured and 1 subject who had a left frontal hematoma) are presented which addressed the effectiveness of EEG biofeedback for auditory memory impairment. A normative QEEG activation database of 59 right-handed subjects was developed, which delineated the QEEG variables which were positively related to auditory memory performance (paragraphs). persons who had experienced a brain injury underwent the same procedure employed in the development of the database. The person's values on the effective parameters of memory functioning were determined. EEG biofeedback interventions were determined by the individual's deviation from the normative reference group in terms of the relevant QEEG parameters of effective auditory memory (paragraph recall). Improvements ranged from 39% subjects who had a follow up assessment that occurred from one month to one year following termination of treatment.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 0.33333333333333keywords = individual (Clic here for more details about this article) |
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