Acquired Brain Injury (Including Stroke)
Conditions
Keywords
acquired brain injury, implicit memory
Brief summary
Stimulus Equivalence Learning (SEL) is a form of learning in which stimuli (such as words, pictures, or sounds) become linked to one another in memory, even though this specific connection has not been directly taught. In a typical SEL task, two relations are taught explicitly (A→B and A→C), and the untrained relation (B→C) is then tested. This indirect relation is not intentionally or consciously learned and is considered a form of implicit learning. The principle of stimulus equivalence learning is still rarely applied in cognitive rehabilitation after acquired brain injury (ABI), with the exception of a few small (N=1) treatment studies that have shown positive effects. However, it remains unclear to what extent ABI may affect the ability to acquire stimulus equivalence.
Interventions
None listed
Sponsors
Klimmendaal Revalidatiespecialisten
Donders Centre for Cognitive Neuroimaging
Study design
Observational model
CASE_CONTROL
Time perspective
PROSPECTIVE
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to 75 Years
Healthy volunteers
Yes
Inclusion criteria
ABI patients (\>3 months post-injury), including stroke, traumatic brain injury, brain tumor, encephalitis, and out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA).
Exclusion criteria
Neurodegenerative disorders Severe psychiatric disorders (including suicidality) Insufficient command of the Dutch language Severe cognitive impairments, aphasia, or visual or hearing problems that make test administration impossible An additional exclusion criterion for controls was any medical condition that could lead to cognitive impairment beyond normal aging, including stroke, TBI, brain tumor, or other forms of brain injury.
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Modified Rutgers Equivalence Learning Task (mRAET) | Day 1 | The original RAET is an experimental paradigm in which faces have to be paired with colored fish. For the current study, this task has been adapted into a more ecologically valid version focused on medication intake, in which relationships are learned between the shape of a pill, the function of the pill, the time of intake, and the (fictional) brand name. |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Location Learning Test (LLT) | Day 1 | The LLT is a test that can be used to measure episodic spatial memory for object locations. Normalized scores for immediate and delayed spatial memory are computed (percentiles 0-100). |
| Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale IV-NL digit span (WAIS-IV-NL DS) | Day 1 | The digit span is a measure of verbal working memory. Normalized standard scores can be computed (range 0-19, mean: 10, standard deviation: 3). |
| Everyday memory questionnaire-revised (EMQ-R) | Day 1 | This is a 13-item scale of the everyday memory functioning. |
| Trial Making Test | Day 1 | The Trail Making Test (TMT) is a neuropsychological test that measures processing speed, visual attention, and task switching. |
| Stroop | Day 1 | The Stroop Test is a cognitive task that measures selective attention, processing speed, and the ability to inhibit automatic responses. Participants are shown color words printed in incongruent ink colors (e.g., the word "red" printed in blue ink) and must name the ink color rather than read the word. The interference effect-slower or less accurate responses-reflects challenges in cognitive control and response inhibition. |
| Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test (RAVLT) | Day 1 | The Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test, RAVLT) is a verbal learning and memory task in which a list of 15 unrelated words is read aloud over several trials. The participant is asked to recall as many words as possible after each trial, and later again after a delay. The test assesses immediate recall, learning ability, retention, and recognition memory. |
| Serial Reaction Time Task (SRTT) | Day 1 | Participants respond to the location of a black circle that appears in one of four screen positions by pressing the corresponding response key as quickly and accurately as possible. After 12 practice trials, the task consists of 8 blocks of 60 trials. Blocks 1-6 contain a fixed repeating sequence of locations (not disclosed to participants). Block 7 contains a different sequence, followed by a return to the original sequence in Block 8. After the task, participants complete questions assessing explicit awareness of the sequence. Implicit learning is indicated by faster reaction times in Blocks 6 and 8 (repeated sequence) compared to Block 7 (irregular sequence). |
Countries
Netherlands
Contacts
CONTACTEdo Grevers, MSc.
Outcome results
None listed