Neuropsychological Rehabilitation for Traumatic Brain Injury: A Systematic Review

Abstract

Background/Objectives: A traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a brain lesion caused by external or internal factors, resulting in cognitive, behavioral, physical, relational, and sensory sequelae, depending on the affected brain area and the severity of the injury. Within neuropsychological rehabilitation (NR), multiple methods have been developed that are aimed at restoring, compensating, and substituting deteriorated cognitive functions resulting from a TBI. This systematic review aimed to identify the state of the scientific literature regarding the efficacy of NR methods in individuals with a TBI. Methods: Articles were analyzed in the SCOPUS and PUBMED databases. Initially, 5347 studies were found. After applying inclusion and exclusion criteria, 17 articles remained and were included in the data extraction process. Results: Of the seventeen included articles, eleven employed randomized or semi-randomized controlled trials, five were clinical studies, and one was a comparative study, in which the percentage of computerized NR methods was 58.82% in the experimental and clinical groups. In contrast, traditional methods constituted 35.3%, and the remaining 5.88% conducted holistic NR. Ninety percent of the methods employed in these investigations showed efficacy. Conclusions: While most of the evaluated NR methods demonstrated efficacy, the analysis of these findings should not be isolated from variables such as the etiology and phase of the TBI, the intervention duration, and the symptoms treated. Furthermore, the NR implementation must be adapted to the specific context of each patient.