Article

Social problem solving was assessed in 28 youth ages
12-19 years (15 with
moderate to severe traumatic brain injury (TBI), 13 uninjured) using a
naturalistic, computerized virtual reality (VR) version of the Interpersonal
Negotiations Strategy interview (Yeates, Schultz, & Selman, 1991). In each
scenario, processing load condition was varied in terms of number of characters
and amount of information. Adolescents viewed animated scenarios depicting social
conflict in a virtual microworld environment from an avatar's viewpoint, and were
questioned on four problem solving steps: defining the problem, generating
solutions, selecting solutions, and evaluating the likely outcome. Scoring was
based on a developmental scale in which responses were judged as impulsive,
unilateral, reciprocal, or collaborative, in order of increasing score.
Adolescents with TBI were significantly impaired on the summary VR-Social Problem
Solving (VR-SPS) score in Condition A (2 speakers, no irrelevant information),
p=0.005; in Condition B (2 speakers+irrelevant information), p=0.035; and
Condition C (4 speakers+irrelevant information), p=0.008. Effect sizes (Cohen's
D) were large (A=1.40, B=0.96, C=1.23). Significant group differences were
strongest and most consistent for defining the problems and evaluating outcomes.
The relation of task performance to cortical thickness of specific brain regions
was also explored, with significant relations found with orbitofrontal regions,
the frontal pole, the cuneus, and the temporal pole.
Results are discussed in the
context of specific cognitive and neural mechanisms underlying social problem solving deficits after childhood TBI.
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Langue : ANGLAIS