Training engagement, baseline cognitive functioning, and cognitive gains with computerized cognitive training: A cross-diagnostic study

Abstract

Computerized cognitive training (CCT) interventions are increasing in their use in outpatient mental health settings. These interventions have demonstrated efficacy for improving functional outcomes when combined with rehabilitation interventions. It has recently been suggested that patients with more cognitive impairment have a greater therapeutic response and that reduced engagement in training can identify cases who manifest low levels of benefit from treatment. Participants were psychiatric rehabilitation clients, with diagnoses of major depression, bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. Newly admitted cases received CCT, delivered via Brain HQ, with cognitive functioning divided into groups on the basis of a BACS t-score of 40 or less vs. more. Training engagement was indexed by the number of training levels achieved per day trained. Forty-nine cases trained on average for 17 days and completed a mean of 150 levels. Overall, patients improved by an average of 4.4 points (0.44 SD) in BACS t-scores (p < .001). Improvements were positively correlated with training engagement (r = 0.30, p < .05), but not with days trained (r = 0.09) or levels earned (r = 0.03) alone. Patients with higher levels of baseline cognitive performance had reduced cognitive gains (p < .003), but did not have less training engagement (p = .97). Diagnoses did not predict cognitive gains (p = .93) or target engagement (p = .74). Poorer performance at baseline and higher levels of training engagement accounted for >10% in independent variance in cognitive gains. The mean level of cognitive improvement far exceeded practice effects. The index of engagement, levels achieved per training day, is easily extracted from the training records of patients, which would allow for early and continuous monitoring of treatment engagement in CCT activities and therapist intervention as needed to improve engagement.

A Novel BrainHealth Index Prototype Improved by Telehealth-Delivered Training During COVID-19

“…Most online offerings do not have strong published evidence of their efficacy. One exception to this are the BrainHQ ( www.brainhq.com ) online training programs that have shown positive cognitive effects in a range of populations across many studies ( 36 – 42 ). One such study showed impressive gains in certain cognitive processes of older adults with real-life benefits maintained up to 10 years later with just a few booster sessions ( 39 , 43 ).…”

Rehabilitación Cognitiva en los Trastornos Psiquiátricos

“…al. 2017;Rezapour et al, 2017), la terapia psicológica (Corrivetti, Caserta, Perna, 2018;Harvey, Balzer, Kotwicki, 2019;Rodríguez et al, 2019), y terapias ocupacionales (Bell, Vissicchio y Weinstein, 2016). Existen indicios de que las intervenciones combinadas implican también beneficios adicionales dentro de la sintomatología (Peña et al, 2016) y funcionalidad social (Vita, et al, 2016) en los pacientes.…”

Computerized cognitive rehabilitation for treatment of cognitive impairment in multiple sclerosis: an explorative study

“…The superiority of the training tests included in this platform over other cognitive exercises has been previously demonstrated (Tennstedt and Unverzagt, 2013). We used this platform since it enables clinicians to determine the participants' level of engagement (Harvey et al, 2019) CR was home-based and was performed in the patients' native language. Participants were asked to enter the platform twice a week.…”