The Effectiveness of Computer-Assisted Cognitive Remediation on Executive Functions and Cognitive Abilities of Students with Diabetes

The aim of the present quasi-experimental research with pre-test and post-test design with control group study was to examine the effectiveness of computer-assisted cognitive remediation on executive functions and cognitive abilities of students with diabetes. 18 Students with diabetes were selected from the Diabetes Association of Bonab city and randomly assigned into two experimental and control groups of nine people. Executive functions and cognitive abilities of both experimental and control groups were measured with research tools in the pre-test and post-test steps. The tools used in this study were computer software for memory and attention refinement, the software version of the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test, and the Coglab software (change detection from the attention test set, and signal detection of Perception test set). For intervention, the experimental group was individually under cognitive remediation in 10 half-hour sessions (twice a week) by using attention and memory improvement software. Data were analyzed using one-way covariance analysis. The results indicated an increase in cognitive abilities (attention for the discovery of change and perception) in the experimental group. However, the applied intervention did not increase the executive functions of the experimental group. The study concluded that although the intervention and the number of meetings prescribed in this study were useful for promoting cognitive abilities, they did not have enough power to improve its executive functions.