Rehabilitación cognitiva. Aspectos teóricos y metodológicos

AIMS: The aim of this paper is to theoretically define some aspects related with cognitive rehabilitation, as well as the methodological principles needed to draw up a programme of rehabilitation for these functions. METHOD: We performed an analysis of the definitions developed by different contemporary authors, of the theoretical approaches to cognitive rehabilitation, and the modes and models of how the functions are organised within the brain. Lastly, we set out the fundamental methodological principles to be taken into account in the production of a cognitive intervention programme, and describe the advantages offered by computer aided procedures as compared to the conventional methods of rehabilitation. CONCLUSIONS: Cognitive rehabilitation is currently considered one of the most important tasks or directions in neuropsychology and a number of theoretical and methodological approaches have been developed to deal with it. Over the past few years there has been a notable increase in the number of studies carried out involving cognitive intervention, especially in patients who are carriers of brain injuries of a traumatic or vascular aetiology and which give rise to a collection of motor, sensory and cognitive disorders. The level of development achieved in the cognitive neurosciences and IT have contributed to the conventional methods being substituted by computer applications that allow greater effectiveness in the rehabilitating process