The Effect of a Working Memory Training Program on the Traumatic Brain Injury: A Single Subject Study

Abstract

The purpose of this research is to see the effect of applying working memory training program along with traditional occupational therapy to patients with mild cognitive impairments caused by traumatic brain injury The study chose two people with mild cognitive impairment due to injury from a traumatic brain injury of study. This study, as a single case study design, was conducted by applying ABA design; In baseline condition (A phase), the subjects were treated with traditional occupational therapy and the subjects were treated with working memory training program in the B phase. And then the subjects went back to a baseline condition - the A phase - traditional occupational therapy session. The study performed Mini Mental State Examination-Korean version (MMSE-K) and Loewenstein Occupational Therapy Cognitive Assessment (LOTCA) as assessments for the standardized cognitive function before and after every session of evaluation on working memory. A visual analysis of changes in each session and changes before and after arbitration was conducted. In comparison to the A phase in which all subjects were treated with traditional occupational therapy, it was shown that the working memory ability measured in each session was increased in phase B, in which all subjects were treated with a working memory training program. The study results confirmed the possibility of improvement of memory and cognitive function with a working memory training program even in patients with mild cognitive impairment due to traumatic brain injury.