Effectiveness of a Brain Training Program on the Cognitive Function of Sepsis Survivors: A Randomized Controlled Trial Study

Abstract

Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of a brain training program designed to enhance the cognitive function of sepsis survivors. Materials and Methods: We conducted a single-blind randomized controlled trial at a tertiary care hospital involving 67 participants aged over 18 years with participants randomly assigned to two groups, an experimental group (n=33) receiving the brain training program, and a control group (n=34) receiving standard care only. We measured cognitive function at three different time points: Baseline, Week 6, and Week 12, using the Thai Mental State Examination for testing and repeated measure ANOVA for statistical analysis. Results: The experimental group had a higher mean cognitive function score at Week 6 posttest than at pretest. At Week 12, the mean cognitive function score increased significantly compared with that at pretest (F = 442.279, p <.001) and the experimental group had a higher mean cognitive function score than the control group (F = 104.905, p <.001). Conclusion: The brain training program significantly increased the cognitive function levels of sepsis survivors in 6–12 weeks. The result of this study shows the benefits of a brain training program in increasing cognitive functions. Therefore, such a brain training program should be implemented among sepsis survivors to improve their cognitive functions.