Compensatory and Rehabilitative Cognitive Training Improves Executive Functions and Metacognition

Executive Functions (EF) improvement is considered as a pivotal axis in cognitive rehabilitation and enhancement according to the studies. Scholars believe that EF can be practiced and improved as a way to ameliorate cognitive ability. The main objective of the present paper is to boost executive functions and meta-cognition via compensatory and rehabilitative cognitive training.

In a randomized controlled trial with pretest, post-test and follow-up assessment, the effects of compensatory and rehabilitative cognitive training via education and personalized practice were studied on the EF and metacognition of 126 secondary students aged 16-18. Participants were assigned randomly into an experimental training group (n=61) using Practical Cognitive Strategy Training (PCST) or a wait-list control group (n=65). PCST (Roshd) consisted of two parts: cognitive strategy awareness and practice for compensatory cognitive training and cognitive exercises for rehabilitative cognitive training. The data were analyzed using repeated measure ANOVA in SPSS 23.

Results showed a significant difference between the experimental and control groups in strategy use after twelve sessions of training once a week in twelve weeks of training and a one-month follow-up assessment (P ≤ 0.001). The participants also reported some kinds of transfer in the use of learned cognitive strategies to other life activities.  

Practical daily-life-based executive functions training can practically enhance executive functions and meta0cognitipon in real-life activities.