Self-reported memory strategy use following acquired brain injury

INTRODUCTION: Neuropsychological rehabilitation following acquired brain injury (ABI) often involves interventions teaching individuals with ABI strategies to compensate for memory impairment. However, little is known about spontaneous memory strategy use (i.e. without treatment) and its determinants. The primary aim was to compare spontaneous memory strategy use in daily life and during a memory task between participants with ABI and cognitively unimpaired controls. Other aims were to investigate the relationships between strategy use, demographic and clinical characteristics, and memory performance. METHODS: Sixty adults (aged 27-71) with ABI (≥3 months post-injury) were included at the start of their rehabilitation program. The control group consisted of 187 cognitively unimpaired volunteers (aged 18-79). Spontaneous memory strategy use in daily life was measured using the strategy scale of the Metamemory in Adulthood Questionnaire (MIA). Memory complaints were assessed with the Everyday Memory Questionnaire-Revised (EMQ-R) and memory performance with the subtest Verbal Paired Associates of the Wechsler Memory Scale-Fourth Edition (WMS-IV VPA). Additionally, memory strategy use during the VPA was assessed. RESULTS: = .367). Within both groups, more memory complaints and female sex were related to using more strategies in daily life. Task-related strategies were unrelated to memory performance in the ABI group but positively related in controls. CONCLUSIONS: ABI participants report using fewer memory strategies in daily life than controls, despite performing worse on a memory task and experiencing more memory complaints. Since efficiently employed compensation strategies are the most effective way to compensate for memory impairment, our results emphasize the importance of training memory strategies after ABI and provide valuable insights for creating individual treatment plans.