Type of Study: Research Study

Introduction: The "dysexecutive syndrome" is a major challenge following brain injury. Everyday tasks may become acts of difficulty and frustration for the person with brain injury. When performing activities, goals often become neglected as patients become engrossed at the task at hand. Researchers tested whether the interruption of brief auditory stimuli during tasks would interrupt patients and act as a cue to remind them of their overall goal.

Method: Ten brain injured patients completed Shallice & Burgess' Six Elements tasks under 2 conditions. Researchers measured the patients ability to monitor time and switch between the tasks. The task was completed with and without auditory cues for each subject. The brain injured patients were matched to an equal number of control volunteers for age and IQ status.

Results: Without external auditory cues, the patients performed significantly less than the matched controls. When the tones were present, patients performed significantly less than the matched controls. When the tones were present, patients performance was significantly improved and didn't differ from controls.

Discussion: Results indiciated that the "dysexecutive syndrome" may be associated with goal neglect rather than memory or comprehension problems. Providing environmental support to one aspect of executive functioning may facilitate monitoring and behavior flexibility.