Evaluating the Effectiveness of Compensatory Memory Interventions in Adults With Acquired Brain Injury: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Memory and Everyday Outcomes

Objective: Adults with acquired brain injury (ABI) often experience memory impairments that are persistent and difficult to treat. Although evidence has shown that rehabilitation programs may improve cognitive performance in persons with ABI, there is an opportunity to look more closely at the benefits provided by specific interventions. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to evaluate whether compensation-based memory programs improve memory or everyday outcomes (e.g., mood, quality of life, community integration, everyday functioning). Method: The review was limited to published, English-language controlled trials that evaluated compensatory memory interventions for adults (18+) with ABI using at least one memory or everyday outcome. The final search was conducted in April 2021 using PsychINFO, Medline, EMBASE, the Cochrane Review database, Google Scholar, and the reference lists of relevant articles. Results: Of 2,817 identified articles, 22 controlled trials met inclusion criteria, of which 12 provided sufficient data to include in the meta-analyses. Risk of bias assessment identified problems with recruitment and masking procedures. Results indicate that compared to controls, these interventions produce positive effects on outcomes of immediate verbal recall (g = 0.43), participant-reported memory (g = 0.28), and strategy use (g = 0.39) and that these improvements are maintained at follow-up. Conclusions: Compensatory memory programs produce meaningful memory improvements and are a promising avenue for reducing ABI-related memory impairment. Future research focusing on specific subsets of ABI populations and a broader range of participant-reported outcomes is needed. This review was preregistered in the PROSPERO database (Registration number: CRD42020197592).