Post-traumatic cognitive deficits: Whether speech training improve cognitive functions?

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TBI is the leading cause of disability in the world due to the development of motor and cognitive disorders that occur in 70–100% depending on the extent of the injury. To evaluate the results of rehabilitation capacities of the author computer program based on the application of functional training verbal domains of the brain to recovery cognitive deficits. With the aim to study the problem of the cognitive impairment of post-traumatic genesis, 49 patients after TBI of moderate severity (20.4%) and after severe TBI (79.6%) were examined. Before and after the treatment all patients were examined with the help of neurological examination, neuropsychological examination using rating scales: Schulte's table (TSh), the literal and categorical associations test, Mini-Mental-State-Examination (MMSE), Frontal-Assessment-Battery (FAB), Clock-Drawing-Test, Test “10 words”, Hospital-scale-of-anxiety-and-depression (HADS). Patients were randomized into two groups: I-control group (22 people) – the patients took the medication according to generally accepted standards of treatment; II-experimental group (27 people) – patients who in addition to treating of TBI, have the rehabilitation of cognitive impairments, using the author correction programs. The complex of programs was represented by 8 blocks of items, each of which is designed in accordance with exposure to a specific speech domain: motor, amnestic, acoustic-gnostic and semantic domains. Analysis of the results was performed using the method of non-parametric statistics for two independent groups (Mann-Whitney test) of package Statistica10.0. In experimental group (II) there was statistical advantage in recovery of cognitive functions scale (I-II-p*): MMSE (24[22;26]–26[24;28]–0.011*), FAB (14[13;16]–16[15;17]–0.003*), TSh (82[52;100]–56[40;70]–0.009*), “10 words” (6[5;8]–8 [6;9]–0.050*), “Categorical Association” (11[9;16]–15[12;18]–0.018*). The obtained result indicates the presence of a regenerative effect on the gnostic, speech functions, mediated by the second functional unit of the brain and general activating effects on regulatory and neurodynamic processes of the brain, and can be recommended in complex rehabilitation treatment of TBI.