Memory remediation after severe closed head injury: notebook training versus supportive therapy

Abstract

This study evaluated the effectiveness of a 9-week memory notebook treatment for closed-head-injured (CHI) participants with documented memory deficits. Eight participants who had sustained a severe CHI more than 2 years earlier were allocated to receive either notebook training or supportive therapy. Memory outcome indicators, which differed in sensitivity to detect everyday memory failures (EMFs), were administered before treatment, immediately after treatment, and at a 6-month follow-up. At posttreatment, the notebook training group reported significantly fewer observed EMFs on a daily checklist measure than the supportive therapy group. Although in the same direction, this finding no longer reached significance at follow-up. No significant treatment effects were found for the laboratory-based memory measures at posttreatment or follow-up. Although the present results are to be considered preliminary because of the small sample size, they suggest that notebook training has the potential to help individuals compensate for everyday memory problems and that the methods used to measure training efficacy are important.