Structured and intense computerized WM training improves subjects' cognitive functioning as measured by neuropsychological WM-demanding tests, rated occupational performance, satisfaction with performance and rated overall health. The training probably has an impact on the rehabilitation outcome, returning to work, as well as on daily activities for individuals with verified WM impairments.

No abstract

One interpretation of these results is that the group that made a more realistic evaluation of their driving performance were more aware of their cognitive capacity compared to those who failed the driving test. They seemed to have a better ability to adjust their driving behaviour at a tactical level. Thus, the subject's metacognition, awareness of his/her own cognitive capacity, is important for coping with cognitive impairments at tactical driving.

A structured group therapy programme helps patients with acquired brain injury understand the consequences of their neuropsychological deficits, helps them improve awareness of their impairments and helps them develop coping strategies.

This study indicates that cognitive functions important for safe driving may be influenced after cardiac surgery.

Neuropsychological tests focusing on information processing speed and attention is a useful screening tool for predicting driving competence. Stroke patients are vulnerable if they continue to drive and need to be evaluated for their driving capacity to drive.

Twenty-nine patients with brain lesion and 29 matched controls participated in the study. The patients were socially well recovered with a high rate of employment. Compared with the controls, they performed significantly worse on a neuropsychological test battery, especially on executive and cognitive functions. Patients drove as well as controls in predictable situations in the advanced simulator used. In unpredictable situations, they demonstrated longer reaction times and safety margins, as well as difficulties in allocating processing resources to a secondary task. The patients showed significantly less attention, worse traffic behavior, and less risk awareness when driving in real traffic. Forty-one percent of the patients did not pass the driving test. The neuropsychological test battery was factor analyzed into four factors: executive capacity, cognitive capacity, automatic attentional capacity, and simple perceptual-motor capacity. The second factor was the mast significant with a simultaneous capacity test predicting driving performance with 78% confidence.

Brain injury often causes impairments of cognitive functions, which may affect driving performance. The question of whether the brain-injured patient can resume car driving or not generally comes up during rehabilitation. The medical clinical examination, covering neurological status, screening of cognitive functions, and affective state, is insufficient in assessing relevant functions required for driving performance. A neuropsychological assessment and a driving test are additional parts of the driving assessment besides the medical examination. In this paper, neuropsychological test results and driving test results from four patients with brain injury are presented. The paper demonstrates the complementary value of neuropsychological assessment and a driving test: the relevance of cognitive factors for interpretation of driving problems, but also the relevance of a driving test to show compensatory capacity in some drivers with brain injury. Thus, collaboration between medical, neuropsychological and driving expertise can promote and deepen the total assessment of driving performance after brain injury.