Cognitive retraining after traumatic brain injury and its role in facilitating awareness.

This article explores the nature and rationale of cognitive retraining activities in a neuropsychologically oriented outpatient rehabilitation program. Daily performance on tasks of speed of information processing, memory, language, flexibility, and visuospatial problem solving provide valuable quantitative and qualitative data. Individualized compensatory strategies are developed. Patients learn about residual strengths and weaknesses and their impact on work performance. In this way cognitive retraining activities promote greater self-awareness, which facilitates better psychosocial functioning and return to productive work.