University of Montana, Maureen and Mike Mansfield Library
Abstract
Purpose: Individuals who experience ongoing symptoms after sustaining a mTBI may not receive the help they need because the deficits they endorse on self-report measures are not identified on current standardized cognitive assessments. The purpose of the current investigation is to determine how to better document ongoing cognitive-communication deficits and to characterize the nature of how these deficits impact daily life and communicative participation, using a multidimensional assessment protocol.
Method: A multiple case study design was selected to comprehensively document the cognitive-linguistic functioning of multiple individuals with concussion. Five participants completed one session over a telehealth platform that included four self-report measures and four standardized cognitive assessments. All participants then completed a second session which included a planning portion for in-person and at-home tasks followed by execution of in-person tasks. The participants completed the at-home tasks for the 10 subsequent days following the planning phase.
Results: All five participants successfully participated in all portions of the protocol being implemented. Participant self-report measures indicated a variety of cognitive deficits not identified during the standardized cognitive measures. Many of the cognitive deficits endorsed on the self-report measures were observed during the participant’s execution of functional cognitive tasks.
Conclusion: Detecting cognitive-communication deficits in individuals with concussion/mTBI using a standardized assessment continues to pose as a challenge for rehabilitation professionals given the gap between performance on standardized assessments and symptoms endorsed on self-report measures. Further research and adaptations of this multidimensional protocol may be beneficial to the development of a functional standardized assessment