The usefulness of the self-generation technique to improve learning and memory in Spanish-speaking individuals with traumatic brain injury

Objective: To examine the effect of self-generation on learning and memory in Spanish-speaking individuals with traumatic brain injury (TBI).

Method: Thirty Spanish-speaking individuals with moderate-to-severe TBI and 31 healthy controls were recruited to read 32 individual sentences and required to remember the last word in each sentence. Target words were presented both in a self-generated and provided condition for each participant. Recall and recognition of the words were examined immediately, after 30 minutes and after 1 week.

Results: Findings indicated that both healthy controls and individuals with TBI showed significantly better recall and recognition for words in the generated condition than words that had been provided to them at immediate, 30-minute and 1-week time intervals.

Conclusion: The self-generation technique effectively improves learning and memory in Spanish-speaking individuals with TBI. Results should encourage researchers and clinicians to use the principles of cognitive psychology to adapt (as opposed to simply translate) cognitive rehabilitation protocols for use in Spanish-speaking populations with neurological conditions.