TY - JOUR PY - 2014// TI - The role of cognitive training in the neurorehabilitation of a patient who survived a lightning strike. A case study JO - NeuroRehabilitation A1 - Tánczos, Tímea A1 - Zádori, Dénes A1 - Jakab, Katalin A1 - Hnyilicza, Zsuzsanna A1 - Klivényi, Péter A1 - Keresztes, László A1 - Engelhardt, József A1 - Nemeth, Dezso A1 - Vécsei, László SP - 137 EP - 146 VL - 35 IS - 1 N2 - BACKGROUND: Lightning-related injuries most often involve impairment of the functions of the central and peripheral nervous systems, usually including cognitive dysfunctions. We evaluated the cognitive deficit of a patient who had survived a lightning strike and measured the improvement after her cognitive training. This therapeutic method appears to be a powerful tool in the neurorehabilitation treatment.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this case study was to prove the beneficial effects of cognitive training as part of the neurorehabilitation after a lightning strike.

METHODS: Six neuropsychological functions were examined in order to test the cognitive status of the patient before and after the 2-month cognitive training: phonological short-term memory (digit span test and word repetitions test), visuo-spatial short-term memory (Corsi Block Tapping Test), working memory (backward digit span test and listening span test), executive functions (letter and semantic fluencies), language functions (non-word repetition test, Pléh-Palotás-Lörik (PPL) test and sentence repetition test) and episodic memory (Rivermead Behavioral Memory Test and Mini Mental State Examination). We also utilized these tests in aged-matched healthy individuals so as to be able to characterize the domains of the observed improvements more precisely.

RESULTS: The patient exhibited a considerable improvement in the backward digit span, semantic fluency, non-word repetition, PPL, sentence repetition and Rivermead Behavioral Memory tests.

CONCLUSIONS: The cognitive training played an important role in the neurorehabilitation treatment of this lightning injury patient. It considerably improved her quality of life through the functional recovery.

Language: en

LA - en SN - 1053-8135 UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.3233/NRE-141106 ID - ref1 ER -