Neuropsychological benefits of computer-assisted cognitive rehabilitation (using FORAMENRehab program) in children with mild traumatic brain injury or partial epilepsy: A pilot study.

Introduction: The number of children with different cognitive difficulties is constantly increasing. Still, too few evidence-based pediatric neurocognitive rehabilitation programs exist. The main aim of the study was to assess the efficiency and usability of computer-assisted FORAMENRehab program for training specific components of attention in children with mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) and partial epilepsy (PE). The second aim was to specify short- and long-term effects of the intervention.

Methods: Eight children between the ages of 9-12 years with attention impairment (3 with PE and 5 with mTBI) and 18 healthy controls participated. FORAMENRehab Attention software, adapted by the authors, was used for intervention. Strict intervention protocol consisting of patients completing 10 sessions over a 6-week-period to train four components of attention (sustaining, focusing, dividing, tracking) was designed and applied. Follow-up assessments were conducted after the end of the last training and 1.63 years later.

Results: After the intervention patients' sustained and complex attention improved. Long-term follow-up revealed continuing positive rehabilitation effects. 100% compliance suggested that the used method is attractive for children.

Conclusions: These preliminary results of the pilot study give reason to presume that the method is effective in attention impairment remediation. However, more thorough research is needed.