Effects of online brain training on self-reported mental health symptoms for generally healthy adults during the Covid-19 pandemic.

BACKGROUND: The cognitive training Strategic Memory Advanced Reasoning Training (SMART) has been shown to improve symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress when completed using in-person delivery, but mental health outcomes have not yet been studied for online delivery of SMART. METHODS: Data was analyzed from 145 generally healthy adults participating in the BrainHealth Project pilot study who had access to 12 weeks of online self-paced SMART and self-reported mental health symptoms on the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale (DASS-21) pre- and post-training. We utilized linear models to examine the change in self-reported symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress following the 12-week training period and to explore the influence of age, gender, and education on changes in symptomatology. Data from 44 participants who completed a follow-up DASS-21 6 months after completing SMART was used to explore the lasting impact of the training. RESULTS: Improvements in depression, anxiety, and stress symptoms were observed following online SMART, evidenced by a significant decrease in self-reported symptoms on the DASS-21. Improvement in self-reported mental health symptomatology was maintained or continued to improve 6-month post-training. No significant effect of gender was observed, but findings motivate additional exploration of the effects of education and age. CONCLUSION: Online SMART should be considered a low-cost, high-impact approach for supporting public mental health for generally healthy adults.

Cognitive-Communication Interventions for Youth with Traumatic Brain Injury.

Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) are relatively common in the pediatric population, yielding several potential challenges across a wide range of skills and abilities. Cognitive-communication disorders are particularly prevalent, with implications for long-term academic and social outcomes. While considerable evidence exists for identifying and characterizing the effects of cognitive-communication deficits, evidence informing effective interventions is still emerging. This review includes discussion of individual factors that affect treatment needs and outcomes as well as evidence that supports cognitive-communication intervention approaches at both a fundamental/discrete and integrated level. Also addressed is the need for modifying contextual factors that may be barriers as well as augmenting facilitators of successful communication and participation, including collaboration with everyday communication partners and identification and use of appropriate accommodations. Overall, research suggests a growing trend toward interventions that are individualized, dynamic, and combine multiple approaches for cognitive-communication treatment after pediatric TBI.