Introducing the model of cognitive-communication competence: A model to guide evidence-based communication interventions after brain injury

The Voicemail Elicitation Task: Functional Workplace Language Assessment for Persons With Traumatic Brain Injury

Purpose Politeness markers (PMs) are words that enhance cooperativity in dialogue and are an essential component of professional/work communication. Persons with moderate/severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) underuse PMs in connected speech and have employment stability issues. The voicemail elicitation task (VET) is a standardized computerized language sampling procedure measuring PM rate in role-play tasks. Our purpose is to provide preliminary data establishing the potential of a screening assessment tool for professional/work communication. Method We measured VET performance using spoken PMs per minute (PMpM). We present data from 63 persons. Forty-three participants with TBI (22-65 years old, ≥ 1-year postinjury) worked in midlevel jobs before their injury and attempted work return after injury at the same job level. Twenty participants with TBI did not maintain work > 1 year (unstably employed), and 23 did maintain work for ≥ 1 year (stably employed). Twenty controls without history of neurological impairment working at the same job level also completed the VET protocol. We analyzed the data using between-group comparison with 1-way analysis of variance and post hoc analysis. We used receiver operating characteristic curve analysis to calculate sensitivity and specificity, as well as an optimal cutoff value for a screening measure. Results Group differences, F(2, 60) = 19.59, p = .0001, η2 = .376, were identified between unstably employed persons with TBI performing with lower PMpM scores than the stably employed TBI group and the control group. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis indicated a cutoff score of 11.55 PMpM. There was acceptable specificity (0.700, 95% CI [0.499, 0.901]) and sensitivity (0.696, 95% CI [0.508, 0.883]) for a screening tool indicating further assessment of social communication. Conclusion The VET holds promise as a clinical screening tool to identify persons at risk for social communication-related job instability after TBI and the need for a more comprehensive social communication assessment.

Assessing cognitive communication skills in dementia: a scoping review

BACKGROUND

Cognitive communication difficulties are a characteristic feature of dementia. These deficits have negative effects on all aspects of daily life. Yet, there are few options for standardized assessment of cognitive communication skills in people with dementia.

AIMS

To review published cognitive-communication assessments to determine what psychometrically sound assessments exist that are applicable to all people with dementia.

METHODS & PROCEDURES

A scoping review of the literature was conducted using an established scoping review model. Cognitive-communication assessments validated in English with people with dementia were sought. A comprehensive search of eight relevant electronic databases was undertaken. Two reviewers independently analysed and assessed the psychometric quality of instruments that met inclusion criteria.

OUTCOMES & RESULTS

Four cognitive-communication assessments were included in the review. Although psychometrically sound, none was suitable for administration at all stages of dementia. Only one was validated for different dementia types. None included subtests for evaluation of conversation ability, and none involved the evaluation of communication partners' communication.

CONCLUSIONS & IMPLICATIONS

There are limited options for standardized communication assessment for individuals with dementia and their communication partners. Directions for the development of new measures are provided to facilitate research and improve clinical practice.

The Speech-Language Pathologists' Role in Mild Traumatic Brain Injury for Middle and High School-Age Children: Viewpoints on Guidelines From the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Purpose The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently released guidelines for rehabilitation professionals regarding the care of children with mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI). Given that mTBI impacts millions of children each year and can be particularly detrimental to children in middle and high school age groups, access to universal recommendations for management of postinjury symptoms is ideal. Method This viewpoint article examines the CDC guidelines and applies these recommendations directly to speech-language pathology practices. In particular, education, assessment, treatment, team management, and ongoing monitoring are discussed. In addition, suggested timelines regarding implementation of services by speech-language pathologists (SLPs) are provided. Specific focus is placed on adolescents (i.e., middle and high school-age children). Results SLPs are critical members of the rehabilitation team working with children with mTBI and should be involved in education, symptom monitoring, and assessment early in the recovery process. SLPs can also provide unique insight into the cognitive and linguistic challenges of these students and can serve to bridge the gap among rehabilitation and school-based professionals, the adolescent with brain injury, and their parents. Conclusion The guidelines provided by the CDC, along with evidence from the field of speech pathology, can guide SLPs to advocate for involvement in the care of adolescents with mTBI. More research is needed to enhance the evidence base for direct assessment and treatment with this population; however, SLPs can use their extensive knowledge and experience working with individuals with traumatic brain injury as a starting point for post-mTBI care.

Protocol for a clinical trial of telehealth-based social communication skills training for people with traumatic brain injury and their communication partners

Background: A previous clinical trial of training communication partners of people with traumatic brain injury (TBI) demonstrated positive outcomes [Togher, Power, McDonald, Tate, & Rietdijk (2009). Brain Impairment, 10(2), 188-204]. Adapting communication partner training for delivery via telehealth could improve access to this intervention.

Objectives: To compare outcomes across in-person communication partner training, telehealth communication partner training and a control group

Method: Protocol for a partially randomised controlled trial. People with moderate-severe TBI will be allocated to either an in-person or telehealth-based training program. Comparison data will be drawn from the original trial control group, which was recruited using the same eligibility criteria as this protocol. Outcomes after training will be compared between the in-person training group, the telehealth training group and the historical control group.

Discussion: This protocol uses specific design features with the aim of maximising the study’s power, including a partially randomised allocation process and a historical control group. The results will inform about the feasibility and effectiveness of delivering TBI rehabilitation via telehealth.

Trial registration: Australian and New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry: ACTRN12615001024538.

Participants' perspectives of feasibility of a novel group treatment for people with cognitive communication difficulties following acquired brain injury

Purpose: To determine whether treatment was acceptable to participants and perceived as beneficial by exploring the experiences of people with cognitive communication difficulties following acquired brain injury who participated in a novel, group, communication, project-based treatment. The purpose of the treatment was to improve participants' communication skills and quality of life, by focussing group activity towards the production of a project and by incorporating individualised communication goals into group sessions.Methods: Twenty-one people with acquired brain injury recruited from community settings participated in project-based treatment, which comprised one individual and nine group sessions (of 2-3 people) over six weeks. Structured interviews were conducted post-treatment as part of a broader assessment battery. Interviews were transcribed verbatim and analysed using content analysis to identify codes, categories, and themes.Results: Themes identified from the analysis centred around the treatment experience (general experience; group experience; project experience; working on goals) and benefit of treatment (communicative benefit; other benefits; emotional effects; meeting others; something to do). These themes were consistent with the treatment being perceived as acceptable and having initial efficacy for the participant group.Conclusion: The qualitative data presented here provide positive feasibility findings (acceptability and initial efficacy) of project-based treatment for people with acquired brain injury. The results highlight the value of incorporating participants' views in assessing feasibility in developing novel interventions.Implications for rehabilitationInviting people (with cognitive communication difficulties following acquired brain injury) to feedback on their treatment experience provides valuable information that can confirm treatment choice and content or inform adjustments to future treatment.Group treatment with a meaningful and motivating focus, and individualised communication goals, seem to promote positive change in communication, emotional state, cognition, self-awareness, and social interaction.This study highlights the value of individuals' perspectives in evaluating feasibility of a novel intervention.

The development of intimate relationships in adolescent girls and women with traumatic brain injury: a framework to guide gender specific rehabilitation and enhance positive social outcomes

Background: Traumatic brain injury is a neurological disorder of biopsychosocial nature influenced by sex and gender interactions across the lifespan. Traumatic brain injury sustained during adolescence can result in cognitive and social communication impairments that compromise the development and maintenance of intimate social relationships. This can increase both short and long-term vulnerability to poor mental health, social isolation, lack of meaningful friendships, exploitation, and abuse. Females with traumatic brain injury experience greater loss of confidence and have increased risk of victimization, sexual abuse, and violence. This paper aims to provide a framework to inform gender specific rehabilitation of social communication and intimacy, to enhance positive social outcomes for girls and women with Traumatic Brain Injury.Methods: The framework is developed through presentation of a conceptual, multi-dimensional model of intimacy and discussion of current evidence regarding trauma-related cognitive/social-communication impairments and considerations regarding social media.Results: Intimacy is strongly influenced by today's technology-informed "youth culture" and for those with Traumatic Brain Injury, is impacted by cognitive and social communication impairments. Females experience different challenges in recovery and experience of intimacy. There is a need to support girls and women with Traumatic Brain Injury as they develop intimate relationships.Conclusions: This framework can guide the development of female gender-specific rehabilitation and inform future research to promote positive social outcomes.Implications for rehabilitationIntimate relationships are a critical component of mental health and an important part of human development; however, the challenges faced by adolescent girls and woman with TBI in developing and maintaining intimate relationships are often overlooked in traditional rehabilitation programs.A multi-dimensional model of intimacy will help rehabilitation professionals understand the complexities of interventions needed to support healthy intimacy, as well as for harm prevention.Rehabilitation professionals play an important role in advocating for gender-specific supports and interventions.There is a need for early interventions, grounded in today's technological and social media culture, that will support healthy intimacy for adolescent girls and women with TBI.

Social communication following traumatic brain injury part 2: Identifying effective treatment ingredients

PURPOSE

Social communication deficits are a severely debilitating aspect of traumatic brain injury (TBI), and there is strong clinical and research interest in how social communication interventions work for this population. Informed by a companion paper targeting assessment of social communication impairments post-TBI, this paper reviews relevant treatment theories and provides an inventory of social communication treatment components.

METHOD

We completed a mapping review examining 17 articles from recent literature reviews and 4 updated articles from a literature search to identify treatment targets and ingredients using the Rehabilitation Treatment Specification System (RTSS).

RESULT

Social communication interventions are primarily based on behavioural and cognitive treatment theories. Common social communication treatment targets include changing skilled behaviours and cognitive or affective representations. We offer a menu of therapeutic ingredients and treatment considerations which represent the current state of social communication interventions.

CONCLUSION

By reviewing the social communication intervention literature through a theoretical lens, we identify which treatment targets are missing, which targets are being addressed, and which therapeutic ingredients (i.e. clinician activities) are recommended. A hypothetical case study is provided as a supplement to demonstrate how speech-language pathologists may integrate treatment theory, ingredients, and targets into clinical practice.

Social communication following traumatic brain injury part I: State-of-the-art review of assessment tools

PURPOSE

The primary aim of this paper was to identify and describe current social communication assessment tools for adults with traumatic brain injury.

METHOD

We conducted a state-of-the-art review to identify and categorise the range of social communication assessment tools found in the assessment and treatment literature that revealed 42 measures that were coded according to characteristics related to assessment types, psychometrics, and implementation.

RESULT

Of the 42 assessments, 64% evaluated social cognition and the remaining 36% evaluated communication. Coding of implementation categories revealed that only 18/42 (43%) measures were ecologically grounded and 23/42 (55%) were available to clinicians by purchase or in the public domain. Only three measures incorporated questions or an assessment of the examinee's priorities or concerns.

CONCLUSION

A number of factors limit current social communication assessment. The lack of tools that objectively and reliably evaluate communication or social cognition in ecologically valid ways remains problematic. Of particular concern is the lack of prioritisation of the individual's communication values and needs. Recommendations include a call to focus research on the development of more contextual, standardised assessments, consider availability and feasibility when tools are being developed, and evaluate assessment processes as well as discrete tools.

Response to text-based social cues in the formation of causal attributions in adults with traumatic brain injury

BACKGROUND

Adults with traumatic brain injury (TBI) may have deficits recognizing spoken social cues, with major negative social consequences. We do not know if these deficits extend to written social cues. Written cues, such as letterhead, provide information we use to make critical inferences about an author's perspective, and interpret subsequent text considering that perspective, and thus are critical for social communication. This study examined response to written social cues in adults with and without TBI.

METHODS AND PROCEDURES

We asked adults with TBI (n = 38) and uninjured adults (n = 20) to read an article describing actions of a mass murderer and give reasons for the those actions. Materials were presented on letterhead from either a social or a personality institute, to bias responses to either situational or dispositional factors. We hypothesized persons with TBI would be less likely to show bias consistent with the letterhead.

MAIN OUTCOMES AND RESULTS

Significantly more comparison-group responses (72%) than TBI-group responses (52%) were biased (p = 0.01) to match the institute in the letterhead.

CONCLUSIONS

Results indicated reduced sensitivity to written social cues in adults with TBI. Our findings add to evidence of impaired social cue response after TBI, and extend this to written text.

Social communication assessment after TBI: a narrative review of innovations in pragmatic and discourse assessment methods

BACKGROUND

Social communication assessment after traumatic brain injury (TBI) remains a challenging area within speech-language pathology (SLP) clinical practice. Difficulties include the lack of TBI-specific standardized assessment instruments and limited knowledge and uptake of discourse assessment methods clinically. The aim of this paper was to review recent research literature reporting on innovative social communication and discourse assessment measures and methods, to guide evidence-based SLP practice and inform future research.

MAIN CONTRIBUTION

This review describes novel standardized and non-standardized assessment tools for SLP use reported in TBI research literature from the past 15 years. Measures include published assessment batteries and pragmatic rating scales designed for use with adults with TBI, and novel discourse tasks and protocols.

CONCLUSION

This paper delineates social communication assessment measures and discourse analyses described in research literature that may be practical for SLPs to use with adults with TBI. The clinical implications and utility of these measures are discussed. This should assist SLPs in decision-making on social communication assessment for adults with TBI. Further research is needed to investigate translation of research knowledge on discourse assessment methods to SLP practice.

Why is measuring communication difficult? A critical review of current speech pathology concepts and measures

Human society is organised through communicative interactions between co-present people. Speech pathology (SP) assessment and intervention strategies aim to access these sites of communication in order to facilitate participation in life situations for people with communication disorders. Surprisingly, however, there is no explicit theory of communication underpinning SP practice and research. As a result, the conceptual and practical basis for rigorous, empirical measurement of communication remains limited, which is a significant challenge for professional practice and research. This critical review discusses the prevailing ways that co-present communication has been conceptualised and measured in SP. In particular, we examine how models of health have informed current ideas and measurement practices. We argue that although patently valuable for SP, they are largely incommensurate with the realities of co-present communication. Drawing on current empirical research in Sociology and Linguistics, we specify the properties of real-time co-present communication and discuss their relationship to current SP concepts and measurement practices. We conclude by suggesting directions for conceptual development and empirical research that will draw SP assessment and intervention strategies closer to real-time co-present communication.