Remediation of acquired memory problems (post war) in Gulf War veterans using computer technology

Fourteen (experimental group = 7, control group = 7) Persian Gulf War veterans identified as having Gulf War Syndrome were studied using quasi-experimental pre-post test research design. They each had reported mild memory problems, exposure to toxic chemicals, and had scored below the 25 th percentile on one or more of 10 neuropsychological subtests of left hemisphere function in their initial assessment. The study examined whether significant changes occurred on 19 neuropsychological test scores (10 specific to left hemisphere function) after seven PGW veterans completed six 4-hour treatment sessions of computer-assisted cognitive retraining using CAPTAIN'S LOG across a 6-week time period between April and June of 1999. The purpose of this study was twofold. Part one evaluated the effectiveness of a computer-assisted cognitive retraining program (CAPTAIN's LOG) to remediate left hemisphere auditory/verbal memory functions among Persian Gulf War veterans as compared to a control group that did not receive treatment. Part two compared current test data for experimental group members to archival test data on selected veteran cohort groups deemed relevant to the study. Due to its small size and short duration, this study was inconclusive regarding the effectiveness of the CAPTAIN'S LOG cognitive retraining computer software in remediating reported mild cognitive problems identified through a battery of neuropsychological tests. The PGW veterans using CAPTAIN'S LOG software significantly increased their post test scores on one of the 19 neuropsychological subtests compared to post test scores of a control group. A mean difference in pre/post test results between the experimental group and the control group for Sentence Repetition, one of the 10 subtests specific to left hemisphere/auditory memory function, was statistically significant (t = -3.269, df = 10, p < .01).