The construct of problem solving in higher level neuropsychological assessment and rehabilitation.

Three inter-related studies examine the construct of problem solving as it relates to the assessment of deficits in higher level outpatients with traumatic brain injury (TBI). Sixty-one persons with TBI and 58 uninjured participants completed measures of problem solving and conceptually related constructs, which included neuropsychological tests, self-report inventories, and roleplayed scenarios. In Study I, TBI and control groups performed with no significant differences on measures of memory, reasoning, and executive function, but medium to large between-group differences were found on timed attention tasks.

Measurement of problem-solving deficits in adults with acquired brain damage.

Objective: To compare the relative utility of conventional neuropsychological and social problem-solving approaches to measuring functional problem solving deficits in individuals with acquired brain damage (ABD).

Design: In Study I, scores for individuals with ABD were compared to scores for control and normative samples. In Study II, pre- and posttest scores were compared for individuals with ABD who completed a program of outpatient cognitive rehabilitation.