ABSTRACT
Slowness of information processing or reduced processing speed is one of the foremost symptoms after acquired brain damage. Individuals with traumatic brain injury (TBI), for example, show reduced speed of information processing across the spectrum of injury severity. The treatment of slow information processing after acquired brain damage primarily involves three approaches: pharmacological, remedial and compensatory interventions. By far the most common approach to the rehabilitation of slow information processing is computer-mediated remedial training. In the majority of studies on acquired brain injury (ABI), speed of information processing has been measured using neuropsychological tests, such as the Symbol Digit Modalities Test (SDMT) or the Trail Making Test (TMT). In neuropsychological tests, cognitive operations and speed of motor reaction are not distinguished and hence are computed as one variable. In cognitive rehabilitation there is a general consensus that interventions should have the objective of improving the performance of patients in areas of relevance to their everyday functioning.
