Computerized Cognitive Rehabilitation of Executive Deficits in Stroke Patients
Trial Parameters
Brief Summary
WHO: 32 participants with executive deficits related to a stroke, able to engage in moderate physical activity. WHY: Around one third of stroke patients suffer from cognitive deficits in the long term, which have a detrimental impact on everyday personal and professional life. The purpose of this study is to evaluate two sets of computerized exercises combining cognitive and physical effort to see if they can improve executive function. WHAT: Study participants first undergo cognitive and physical assessments. Additional questionnaires will assess mood, everyday life cognition, function and quality. This will be followed by a 6 week training period with 3 training sessions a week. The effect of the cognitive and physical training will be measured in a post-training evaluation session. Six months after completion of the training, the study will evaluate cognitive and physical abilities of participants to study long-term effects of the respective training program. WHERE: Both the evaluation and the training sessions will be conducted on the premises of the Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudoise (Pavillon 4, Avenue de Beaumont, 1005 Lausanne, Switzerland)
Eligibility Criteria
Inclusion Criteria: * Age ≥ 18 years * Ischemic or haemorrhagic cerebral stroke ≥ 8 weeks before study inclusion * Cognitive complaint and/or clinical impression of dysexecutive syndrome * Z-Score \< -1.0 in at least two of the following domains * Cognitive flexibility (Trail-Making Test B/A) * Cognitive interference (Stroop color word interference task) * Divided attention (TAP divided attention) * Working memory (TAP working memory, Forward Digit Span, Backward Digit Span) * Design fluency (Five-points test) Exclusion Criteria: * Major neurocognitive disorder according to the DSM-5 * Proximal extremity paresis grade \< M4 on the Medical Research Council (MRC) Scale for Muscle Strength in at least one of four extremities * Insufficient visual acuity, visual field or hemispatial attention to engage in the training * Inability to discriminate colour: \< 12 points on the Ishihara test * Changes over the last 4 weeks in antidepressive, anxiolytic or in acetylcholinesterase inhibitor drugs