Scheffler Michelle S, Vas Asha K, Hay Catherine Cooper, Griggs-Stapleton Lisa, Cook Lori G
Texas Woman's University, Denton, TX, United States.
The University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX, United States.
Front Hum Neurosci. 2025 Oct 13;19:1677642. doi: 10.3389/fnhum.2025.1677642. eCollection 2025.
Young women are increasingly affected by stroke and often experience persistent executive function deficits that impact global functioning. The purpose of this pilot study was to evaluate the feasibility and effectiveness of a strategy-based cognitive training program (Strategic Memory Advanced Reasoning Training) to improve executive function and related outcomes in young women with stroke.
Eight women with chronic-stage stroke (age: = 38.75 years; = ± 8.78) and eight age- and education-matched controls (age: = 35.75 years; ± 7.71) completed 10 sessions of SMART over 5 weeks, with pre- and post- training assessments. Outcomes included measures of executive function (subtests of the BrainHealth Index), daily living skills (Cognitive Self-Efficacy Questionnaire, Daily Living Questionnaire, and Community Integration Questionnaire), and psychosocial functioning (Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale-21), as well as feasibility/goodness of fit of the program (Acceptability of Intervention Measure, Intervention Appropriateness Measure, and Feasibility of Intervention Measure).
Following SMART, participants with stroke demonstrated improvements in aspects of executive function (including abstraction, strategic memory, and fluency of ideas), cognitive self-efficacy, and stress. Control participants also demonstrated gains, particularly in cognitive self-efficacy. Feasibility was rated highly by participants with stroke.
Findings support SMART as a promising intervention for enhancing cognitive and functional outcomes in young women with stroke, warranting further large-scale investigation.
年轻女性受中风影响的情况日益增多，且常常存在持续的执行功能缺陷，这会影响整体功能。这项初步研究的目的是评估一种基于策略的认知训练项目（战略记忆高级推理训练）在改善年轻中风女性执行功能及相关结果方面的可行性和有效性。
八名处于慢性期中风的女性（年龄：平均38.75岁；标准差±8.78）和八名年龄及教育程度匹配的对照者（年龄：平均35.75岁；标准差±7.71）在5周内完成了10次战略记忆高级推理训练（SMART）课程，并在训练前后进行了评估。结果包括执行功能测量（脑健康指数子测试）、日常生活技能（认知自我效能量表、日常生活问卷和社区融入问卷）、心理社会功能（抑郁、焦虑和压力量表-21），以及该项目的可行性/适配度（干预措施可接受性量表、干预措施适宜性量表和干预措施可行性量表）。
接受战略记忆高级推理训练后，中风参与者在执行功能的多个方面（包括抽象思维、战略记忆和思维流畅性）、认知自我效能和压力方面都有改善。对照参与者也有进步，尤其是在认知自我效能方面。中风参与者对该项目的可行性评价很高。
研究结果支持战略记忆高级推理训练作为一种有前景的干预措施，可改善年轻中风女性的认知和功能结果，值得进一步进行大规模研究。
