Cognitive Rehabilitation of Blast Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)

The most common impairments following blast-induced traumatic brain injury (bTBI) are
cognitive deficits in the domain of executive functioning, learning and memory, and
functional and psychosocial disabilities that are closely related to these cognitive
deficits. There are no treatment protocols available to address the multiple cognitive
impairments in bTBI, but cognitive rehabilitation has proven efficacious in the treatment of
non-blast TBI. The cognitive training modules the investigators plan to evaluate have
improved organization and memory function in patients with non-blast TBI, but it is unknown
whether their efficacy exceeds that of programs that focus only on education and support.
This study is a between group comparison of a cognitive rehabilitation treatment designed
specifically to address the most common cognitive complaints in executive and memory
function, and an active control group receiving educational intervention geared at personal
management of TBI-related symptoms.

Inclusion Criteria:

- Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF)/Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) active-duty personnel
or Veterans exposed to blast

- Meets criteria for mild TBI

- loss of consciousness (LOC) of 30 min or less

- Age: 21- 50

Exclusion Criteria:

- Evidence of penetrating head injury

- History of previous neurological diagnosis

- History of previous psychotic disorder prior to the blast exposure

- Hearing or vision impairment