Assessment Tools of Cognitive-communicative Ability for Traumatic Brain Injury and Right Hemisphere Damage : A Review

Cognitive-communicative disorders after traumatic brain injury(TBl) and right hemisphere damage(RHD) are different from other neurological disorders in nature. Therefore, it is not desirable to use aphasia tests in evaluating individuals with TBI or RHD. The aim of this study is to review assessment protocols on TBI and RHD, and literature related with them. As a result, it is recommended that individuals with TBI be examined in scope of the cognition including attention, memory, organization, reasoning, as well as the functional communication. Similarly, it is useful to consider high-order language related to various cognitive domains in assessing cognitive-communicative ability after RHD. In conclusion, we need to focus on the overall cognitive-communicative domains in an evaluative process of TBI and RHD. Furthermore, it is necessary to develop multiple items for individuals with cognitive-communicative disorders for the purpose of differentiating these heterogeneous groups from other neurological disorders such as aphasia, and of making good use of them as a therapeutic manual.ope