Attention Functions in Traumatic Brain Injury and Stroke: An Exploration of the Predictors of Daily Living Difficulties and the Correlates of the CogniPlus Vigilance Training Programme

Abstract

Attention deficits are common in traumatic brain injury and stroke. These difficulties can impact the individual’s everyday life, affecting activities of daily living such as running errands, increasing cognitive errors such as failing to notice signs, and minimising community integration. They also call for specific training to improve these functions. We investigated the relationship between attention functions and these daily living aspects, as well as the correlates of the CogniPlus VIG training programme, in 12 people with stroke and traumatic brain injury. Results suggested that sustained and divided attention might predict activities of daily living and cognitive errors, as well as community integration. There was also a high correlation between CogniPlus outcome measures and sustained and selective attention performance, suggesting a specific and non-specific effect of this training. We concluded that attention could be an important function for managing everyday demands, and that CogniPlus VIG outcomes measures could indicate improvement in sustained and selective attention when used as training.