Acquired brain injury (ABI) refers to a lesion in a normal brain. Independently of its etiology - traumatic brain injury, ischemic or hemorrhagic cerebrovascular accidents, meningitis, cerebral tumors, etc. - there is a loss of cerebral functions that mediate and control the sensory motor system, cognitive and emotional functioning.Cognitive rehabilitation should be provided as part of the medical treatment after ABI to reduce its impact on the daily functioning of patients

The present study examined the effects of cognitive remediation in reducing cognitive deficits observed in patients with ABI, in neurocognitive domains such as attention and vigilance, executive functioning, speed of processing, verbal learning and memory, and working memory.

Patients (n = 11) were evaluated with “Bateria de Lisboa Avaliação de Demências”, Rey Complex Figure Test, Trail Making Test, Weschler Memory Scale, Wisconsin Card Sorting Test and Attentional Matrices. Non-Parametric Wilcoxon signed-rank test was performed to compare a single sample before and after cognitive remediation in patients with acquired brain injury.

Cognitive remediation was associated with significant improvements across neurocognitive domains such as attention and vigilance, remote memory, cognitive flexibility and capacity to change between tasks, logic memory, short term visual memory, associative memory, long term visual memory, visual memory, working memory and executive functioning measured trough Wisconsin Card Sorting Test total number of errors, perseverative errors and percent conceptual level responses.

Cognitive remediation produces significant improvements in cognitive performance and, when combined with neuropsychological rehabilitation, also improves functional outcomes.