Učinkovitost računalniškega kognitivnega treninga pri bolnikih z zmanjšanimi kognitivnimi sposobnostmi

Markočič, Hana (author), Podlesek, Anja (mentor), Čižman Štaba, Urša (comentor)

Raziskave o učinkovitosti kognitivnega treninga si med seboj niso enotne. Medtem ko nekatere poročajo o odsotnosti učinka le-tega, druge poročajo o (manjših) izboljšanjih delovanja treniranih kognitivnih sposobnosti. Namen magistrske naloge je bil ugotoviti, ali izvajanje adaptivnega kognitivnega treninga 3-krat tedensko, štiri tedne zapored z resno igro CCRacer lahko prispeva k izboljšanju kognitivnega delovanja pacientov na Univerzitetnem rehabilitacijskem inštitutu Republike Slovenije Soča (URI Soča) po nezgodni možganski poškodbi, možganski kapi ali možganskem tumorju, in oceniti, ali bi ga bilo smiselno vključiti v redni rehabilitacijski proces. V raziskavi je sodelovalo 23 oseb povprečne starosti 44 let, ki so bile po naključju razdeljene v eksperimentalno (n = 13) in kontrolno skupino (n = 10). Udeleženci kontrolne skupine so bili deležni rednega rehabilitacijskega programa URI Soča, udeleženci eksperimentalne pa poleg slednjega še programa kognitivnega treninga, v okviru katerega so trenirali sposobnost načrtovanja, inhibicije, kognitivne fleksibilnosti in posodabljanja informacij. Učinkovitost intervencije smo preverili s primerjavo rezultatov testiranj pred in po kognitivnem treningu (oz. v razmaku štirih tednov v primeru kontrolne skupine) z nevropsihološkimi testi Londonski stolp, Wisconsinski test razvrščanja kartic, Razpon številk nazaj in nalogo Reagiraj/Ne-reagiraj. Preverili smo, ali so bile izboljšave v sposobnostih večje v eksperimentalni kot v kontrolni skupini. Rezultati Mann-Whitneyevega U-testa za dva neodvisna vzorca, računanega z reziduali iz klasične linearne regresije, so ob upoštevanju kovariata (testnega rezultata pred intervencijo) pokazali statistično pomembno razliko med skupinama pri rezultatih testa Londonski stolp, medtem ko so bili rezultati po intervenciji na drugih nevropsiholoških testih v obeh skupinah podobni. Sklenili smo, da je kognitivni trening z resno igro CCRacer statistično značilno izboljšal sposobnost načrtovanja v primerjavi z rednim rehabilitacijskim programom. Kljub majhnemu vzorcu raziskava nudi vpogled v delovanje novega računalniškega orodja v klinični populaciji in predloge za nadgradnjo nalog slednjega. O vključitvi CCRacer-ja v redni program URI Soča je še prezgodaj govoriti, z nekaj prilagoditvami pa bi lahko postal inovativen dodatek v procesu rehabilitacije.

• Language: Slovenian
• Keywords: računalniški kognitivni trening, CCRacer, izvršilne funkcije, možganske poškodbe
• Work type: Master's thesis/paper
• Typology: 2.09 - Master's Thesis
• Organization: FF - Faculty of Arts
• Place of publishing: Ljubljana
• Publisher: H. Markočič
• Year: 2025
• Number of pages: 63 str.
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-167992
• UDC: 159.955.072(043.2)
• COBISS.SI-ID: 234236675
• Publication date in RUL: 23.03.2025

Secondary language

• Language: English
• Title: Effectiveness of computerized cognitive training in patients with cognitive deficits

Abstract

The results of research on the effectiveness of cognitive training are mixed. While some report no effect, others report (small) improvements in the performance of the trained cognitive abilities. The aim of the master's thesis was to determine whether the implementation of adaptive cognitive training 3 times a week for 4 consecutive weeks with the serious game CCRacer can contribute to the improvement of cognitive function in patients at the University rehabilitation institute Republic of Slovenia (URI Soča) after traumatic brain injury, stroke or brain tumor, and to assess whether it is reasonable to include it in the regular rehabilitation process. The study involved 23 subjects with an average age of 44 years who were randomly divided into an experimental group (n = 13) and a control group (n = 10). The control group received regular rehabilitation program at URI Soča, while the experimental group additionally received cognitive training, which trained planning, inhibition, cognitive flexibility and information updating skills. The effectiveness of the intervention was tested by comparing the results of the neuropsychological tests Tower of London, Wisconsin Card Sorting Test, Backward Digit Span and the Go/No-go task before and after the cognitive training (or four weeks apart in the case of the control group). The results of the Mann-Whitney U-test for two independent samples, calculated on the residuals of a classical linear regression, taking into account the covariate (pre-intervention test score), showed a statistically significant difference between the two groups in the Tower of London test scores. The post-intervention scores on the other neuropsychological tests were similar in the two groups. Therefore, we concluded that CCRacer training improved planning and problem-solving abilities beyond the effects of the usual rehabilitation programme. Despite the small sample size, the study provides an insight into the performance of a new computer-based tool in a clinical population and makes suggestions for the improvement of its tasks. It is too early to discuss incorporating CCRacer into the regular URI Soča rehabilitation program, but with some adjustments it could become an innovative addition to the rehabilitation process.

• Keywords: computerised cognitive training, CCRacer, executive functions, brain injury