Memory performance and use of a compensation after traumatic brain injury

Fifty-seven traumatic brain injured (TBI) patients were compared to fifty-five age and education-matched normal controls on a memory paired associate task. The TBI patients showed worse memory performance and longer study times than controls. There was no difference between the groups in the frequency of using a pencil and paper compensation to perform the task. Controls who used a compensation tended to perform at a higher level, but this was not true for TBI patients. Failure to benefit immediately from a compensation may help explain why some TBI patients resist using them during neuropsychological rehabilitation.