Assessing Brain Changes Throughout the ABI Wellness Program

Symptoms resulting from mild/moderate trauma to the brain are as varied as the individuals who sustain them. The currently held belief is that the majority of healing and functional recovery occurs within the first two years post injury. A large proportion of individuals who sustain mild/moderate brain injuries (mTBIs) do not fully recover, and continue to experience symptoms well beyond two years post injury. Cognitive rehabilitation programs have been shown to be somewhat effective in helping mTBI patients regain some functionality in these executive domains. The purpose of the current study is to use an objective assessment of brain function to track changes during either a full-time or part-time holistic cognitive rehabilitation program, specifically the ABI Wellness (ABIW) program. The NeuroCatch Platform™ test will be used to assess brain functioning before, during and after 3 months in the ABIW program. The NeuroCatch Platform™ test uses electroencephalography (EEG) to measure event-related potential (ERP) signals produced by the brain, in response to an auditory stimulus. Three brain processes are examined with this test: Auditory sensation (ERP marker is the N100), Basic attention (ERP marker is the P300), and Cognitive processing (ERP marker is the N400).