Document Type : Original Article
Authors
1 Department of Rehabilitation, Brain and Cognition Clinic, Institute for Cognitive Science Studies (ICSS), Tehran, Iran
2 Isfahan Neurosciences Research Center, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
3 Institute for Cognitive Science Studies (ICSS), Tehran, Iran
Abstract
Cerebral ischemia or stroke is the second leading cause of death in the world. Visual attention impairment is a common cognitive complication among patients with cerebral ischemia, especially in the Middle Cerebral Artery (MCA). One of the ways to improve attention in these patients is cognitive rehabilitation. RehaCom software is one of the computer-based tools to rehabilitate visual attention in these patients. The purpose of this study was evaluation of RehaCom cognitive rehabilitation on different aspects of visual attention in patients with middle cerebral artery ischemia.
In this single blind randomized clinical trial, 30 patients with cerebral ischemia in MCA territories were selected and randomly divided into control (n=15) and intervention(n=15) groups. Visual attention of both groups was assessed before the treatments using the Integrated Visual-Auditory test (IVA). Then the intervention group was rehabilitated 8 sessions for 45 minutes with RehaCom cognitive software, while the control group was only under intervention by non-targeted computer games. After applying the treatments, visual attention in two groups was assessed using IVA test.
There is significant differences could be find in the visual sustained attention, visual alternating attention, visual divided attention at the baseline (P value <0.05). After intervention, visual focus attention in the was significantly higher than control group( 84.67±26.51, 57.20±31.44, P value <0.05). RehaCom cognitive software intervention could increase visual divided attention in group 88.40±14.85 versus 72.70±25.73, P value <0.05.
The results showed that cognitive rehabilitation with RehaCom was able to improve visual attention deficit in patients with middle cerebral artery ischemia.
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