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Efficacy and Usability of Assistive Technology for Patients With Cognitive Deficits: A Systematic Review

By de Joode, Elsbeth; van Heugten, Caroline; Verhey, Frans; van Boxtel, Martin; Clinical Rehabilitation, Vol. 24, No. 10, pp. 701-714
Publication Date: October 2010

Study explored the usability and efficacy of portable electronic aids such as personal digital assistants (PDAs), pagers, and mobile phones for patients with cognitive disabilities. Papers referring to “electronic aids,” “cognition,” and “brain injury” were identified by searching the PubMed, CINAHL, PsychINFO, EMBASE, and MEDLINE databases up to 2009. An additional criterion for inclusion was adult study participants with cognitive impairments as a result of acquired brain injury. Outcome measures were change in cognitive or occupational performance or the level of participation in daily life. Twenty-eight papers presenting 25 studies were reviewed and classified according to the strength of their research design: Class I for prospective randomized controlled trials, Class II for non-randomized cohort studies, or Class III for case reports and single subject trials. The total number of participants was 423, with a male/female ratio of 3 to 2 and a mean age of 38 years. The majority of participants had traumatic brain injury or stroke. Most of the papers were in the Class II or III categories, and only one Class I randomized controlled trial was identified, in which the NeuroPage, a pager linked to a message service that sends personally composed, audio cued messages at predetermined times to remind the user of tasks or appointments, proved effective in supporting prospective memory. Other kinds of assistive technology such as PDAs and voice recorders showed positive results in supporting retrospective as well as prospective memory. Study limitations and implications for future research are discussed.

Assistive Products Discussed: NEUROPAGE
Published by: Sage Publications   (Website:http://www.sagepub.com)

British Society of Rehabilitation Medicine    (Web Site: http://www.bsrm.co.uk )
Link to text: http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0269215510367551
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