Research Opportunities Table in the Area of Adults With Traumatic Brain Injury
| Intervention | Strength of Evidence |
| Arousal and Alertness of People in a Coma or Persistent Vegetative State | |
| Multimodal sensory stimulation to improve arousal and enhance clinical outcomes | Strong evidence |
| Increased complexity, rather than intensity, of stimulation to increase intervention effectiveness | Area for future research |
| Motor Function | |
| Exercise programs (aquatic, hand, and standard [e.g., balance]) to improve motor function | Strong evidence |
| Computer-based interventions (e.g., virtual reality, gaming systems, 3D immersive games) to improve upper-extremity motor function and postural and dynamic balance | Area for future research |
| Rehabilitation and multidisciplinary rehabilitation programs to improve motor function | Area for future research |
| Cognitive Impairments | |
| General memory interventions (involving restorative and/or compensatory approaches) to improve memory | Strong evidence |
| Attention regulation interventions with or without goal or problem-solving training to improve attention and executive functioning | Strong evidence |
| Executive function strategy training such as goals management training and metacognitive strategy instruction to improve attention and executive functioning | Strong evidence |
| Training in encoding techniques to improve recall | Strong evidence |
| Training in use of cognitive assistive technology (except voice recorders and navigation devices) to improve memory | Strong evidence |
| Memory-specific compensatory approaches to improve memory | Strong evidence |
| Cognitive interventions to improve self-awareness | Area for future research |
| Computer-based interventions to enhance occupational performance | Area for future research |
| General restorative and/or compensatory approaches to improve attention and executive dysfunction | Area for future research |
| Visual and Visual–Perceptual Impairments | |
| Scanning training to improve search skills when measured with digit search, computer tests, and a functional search task | Strong evidence |
| Cognitive rehabilitation to improve performance in neuropsychological measures focused on visual perception | Strong evidence |
| Scanning training accompanied by a visual and/or auditory stimulus to improve visual search skills and reading performance | Area for future research |
| Vision therapy to remediate oculomotor signs and symptoms | Area for future research |
| Cognitive compensatory strategies such as pacing, chunking, and self-talk to improve ADL performance | Area for future research |
| Cognitive strategies focused on social skills training to improve the ability to name basic emotions, interpret comments, and determine whether a person is lying or being sarcastic | Area for future research |
| Psychosocial, Behavioral, or Emotional Impairments | |
| Intervention | Strength of Evidence |
| Arousal and Alertness of People in a Coma or Persistent Vegetative State | |
| Multimodal sensory stimulation to improve arousal and enhance clinical outcomes | Strong evidence |
| Increased complexity, rather than intensity, of stimulation to increase intervention effectiveness | Area for future research |
| Motor Function | |
| Exercise programs (aquatic, hand, and standard [e.g., balance]) to improve motor function | Strong evidence |
| Computer-based interventions (e.g., virtual reality, gaming systems, 3D immersive games) to improve upper-extremity motor function and postural and dynamic balance | Area for future research |
| Rehabilitation and multidisciplinary rehabilitation programs to improve motor function | Area for future research |
| Cognitive Impairments | |
| General memory interventions (involving restorative and/or compensatory approaches) to improve memory | Strong evidence |
| Attention regulation interventions with or without goal or problem-solving training to improve attention and executive functioning | Strong evidence |
| Executive function strategy training such as goals management training and metacognitive strategy instruction to improve attention and executive functioning | Strong evidence |
| Training in encoding techniques to improve recall | Strong evidence |
| Training in use of cognitive assistive technology (except voice recorders and navigation devices) to improve memory | Strong evidence |
| Memory-specific compensatory approaches to improve memory | Strong evidence |
| Cognitive interventions to improve self-awareness | Area for future research |
| Computer-based interventions to enhance occupational performance | Area for future research |
| General restorative and/or compensatory approaches to improve attention and executive dysfunction | Area for future research |
| Visual and Visual–Perceptual Impairments | |
| Scanning training to improve search skills when measured with digit search, computer tests, and a functional search task | Strong evidence |
| Cognitive rehabilitation to improve performance in neuropsychological measures focused on visual perception | Strong evidence |
| Scanning training accompanied by a visual and/or auditory stimulus to improve visual search skills and reading performance | Area for future research |
| Vision therapy to remediate oculomotor signs and symptoms | Area for future research |
| Cognitive compensatory strategies such as pacing, chunking, and self-talk to improve ADL performance | Area for future research |
| Cognitive strategies focused on social skills training to improve the ability to name basic emotions, interpret comments, and determine whether a person is lying or being sarcastic | Area for future research |
| Psychosocial, Behavioral, or Emotional Impairments | |
| CBT interventions to address psychosocial, behavioral, and emotional impairments and to improve occupational performance | Strong evidence |
| Goal-directed outpatient rehabilitation to improve self-ratings of performance and satisfaction | Strong evidence |
| Goal-directed outpatient rehabilitation to improve goal attainment, occupational performance, psychosocial reintegration, and adjustment levels | Area for future research |
| Functional skills training to improve social participation, community reintegration, independent living, emotional well-being, and quality of life | Area for future research |
| CBT modified to include MBCT to decrease depression and motivational interviewing to improve anxiety | Area for future research |
| Aerobic exercise to improve self-esteem, depression, quality of life, and community activity | Area for future research |
| Group and individual-based education interventions to improve psychosocial, behavioral, and emotional skills and impairments | Area for future research |
| Social skills training interventions to improve occupational performance | Area for future research |
| Peer mentoring interventions to improve perception of community integration, levels of anxiety and depression, satisfaction with social integration, or social activity levels | Area for future research |
| CBT administered in the virtual context to address community integration and adaptive coping | Area for future research |
| Everyday Activities and Areas of Occupation and Social Participation | |
| Activity-based interventions focused on client-centered goals and delivered in a relevant environmental context to improve occupational performance | Area for future research |
| Multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary rehabilitation approaches to improve occupational performance and participation outcomes after moderate to severe TBI | Area for future research |
| Training in social behaviors and decoding emotions to improve partner-directed behaviors such as reciprocal conversation skills | Area for future research |
| Virtual reality driving rehabilitation program to improve simulated driving performance in steering on open roads, turning, reacting to unexpected driving hazards, and adhering to traffic laws | Area for future research |
| Social training programs to improve social participation | Area for future research |
| CBT interventions to address psychosocial, behavioral, and emotional impairments and to improve occupational performance | Strong evidence |
| Goal-directed outpatient rehabilitation to improve self-ratings of performance and satisfaction | Strong evidence |
| Goal-directed outpatient rehabilitation to improve goal attainment, occupational performance, psychosocial reintegration, and adjustment levels | Area for future research |
| Functional skills training to improve social participation, community reintegration, independent living, emotional well-being, and quality of life | Area for future research |
| CBT modified to include MBCT to decrease depression and motivational interviewing to improve anxiety | Area for future research |
| Aerobic exercise to improve self-esteem, depression, quality of life, and community activity | Area for future research |
| Group and individual-based education interventions to improve psychosocial, behavioral, and emotional skills and impairments | Area for future research |
| Social skills training interventions to improve occupational performance | Area for future research |
| Peer mentoring interventions to improve perception of community integration, levels of anxiety and depression, satisfaction with social integration, or social activity levels | Area for future research |
| CBT administered in the virtual context to address community integration and adaptive coping | Area for future research |
| Everyday Activities and Areas of Occupation and Social Participation | |
| Activity-based interventions focused on client-centered goals and delivered in a relevant environmental context to improve occupational performance | Area for future research |
| Multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary rehabilitation approaches to improve occupational performance and participation outcomes after moderate to severe TBI | Area for future research |
| Training in social behaviors and decoding emotions to improve partner-directed behaviors such as reciprocal conversation skills | Area for future research |
| Virtual reality driving rehabilitation program to improve simulated driving performance in steering on open roads, turning, reacting to unexpected driving hazards, and adhering to traffic laws | Area for future research |
| Social training programs to improve social participation | Area for future research |
Note. ADL = activity of daily living; CBT = cognitive–behavioral therapy; MCBT = mindfulness-based cognitive–behavioral therapy; TBI = traumatic brain injury.