Cognitive Rehabilitation: ACTION Training for Soldiers with Executive Dysfunction

Abstract : A team of researchers from the Courage Kenny Research Center (CKRC), Traumatic Brain Injury Center at Fort Campbell, KY (TBIC-FC) has developed an intervention to teach SM with mTBI to set implementation intentions called ACTION (AutomatiC iniTiation of IntentiONs) sequence training. This pilot study will evaluate: 1) the practicality of ACTION instructional methods and 2) the efficacy of ACTION sequence training in achieving personal goals and performance on a task that challenges executive function using a small randomized controlled trial. Aim 1: Finalize ACTION curriculum/ manuals; field test Aim 2: Evaluate ACTION instructional methods (the extent to which SM with mTBI are able to learn to establish IF-THEN statements that have the potential to trigger automatic enactment of goal-actions and the extent to which SM with mTBI report the training experience as satisfactory and beneficial). Aim 3: Test the efficacy of adding ACTION training to standard care metacognitive strategy instruction (MSI), together called Target Acquisition Practices (Group 1) by evaluating the extent to which training 1) improves SMs with mTBI ability to perform a complex test of executive function (e.g. Hotel Test) and 2) advances progress towards self-identified goals as compared to a control condition.