Efficacy of the Spanish modified Story Memory Technique in Mexicans with multiple sclerosis: A pilot randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Memory impairments commonly afflict individuals with MS. While evidence-based cognitive rehabilitation treatments are available in English, the lack of such interventions in Spanish is an important barrier to care for Hispanics with MS. There is class I evidence that the modified Story Memory Technique (mSMT) improves learning in English. This intervention has been translated and adapted into Spanish. OBJECTIVE: To examine the preliminary efficacy of the Spanish mSMT to improve learning in Mexicans with MS. METHODS: Twenty individuals with relapsing-remitting MS were randomized to treatment (n = 10) or placebo control (n = 10) groups. The Spanish mSMT is a 10-session intervention that teaches imagery and context to facilitate learning. The control condition was matched to the treatment condition in treatment duration, and stimulus content and presentation. Participants completed baseline and post-treatment neuropsychological assessments. RESULTS: Individuals who received the Spanish mSMT showed significant improvements in learning and life satisfaction relative to the control group. Also observed were a near-moderate effect size on perceived memory complaints and a moderate-to-large effect size on the family's perception of the patient's competency. CONCLUSIONS: The Spanish mSMT showed preliminary efficacy in improving learning deficits in Mexicans with MS, and such improvements may extend to other domains.

Relationship Between Hispanic Nativity, Residential Environment, and Productive Activity Among Individuals With Traumatic Brain Injury: A TBI Model Systems Study.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the influence of nativity and residential characteristics on productive activity among Hispanics at 1 year after traumatic brain injury (TBI). SETTING: Acute rehabilitation facilities and community follow-up. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 706 Hispanic individuals in the TBI Model Systems National Database. DESIGN: Secondary data analysis from a multicenter longitudinal cohort study. MAIN MEASURES: Nativity (foreign born or US native), productive activity derived from interview questions regarding employment status, and other demographic information. Census data were extracted by zip code to represent residential characteristics of aggregate household income and proportion of foreign language speakers (FLS). RESULTS: Among foreign-born individuals with TBI, those living in an area with a higher proportion of FLS were 2.8 times more likely to be productive than those living in areas with a lower proportion of FLS. Among individuals living in an area with a lower proportion of FLS, US-born Hispanics were 2.7 times more likely to be productive compared with Hispanic immigrants. CONCLUSION: The relationship between nativity and productive activity at 1 year post-TBI was moderated by the residential proportion of FLS. Findings underscore the importance of considering environmental factors when designing vocational rehabilitation interventions for Hispanics after TBI.