Rehabilitation of executive functioning: An experimental-clinical validation of Goal Management Training

Two studies assessed the effects of a training procedure (Goal Management T raining, GMT), derived from Duncan's theory of goal neglect, on disorganize d behavior following TBI. In Study 1, patients with traumatic brain injury (TBI) were randomly assigned to brief trials of GMT or motor skills trainin g. GMT, but not motor skills training, was associated with significant gain s on everyday paper-and-pencil tasks designed to mimic tasks that are probl ematic for patients with goal neglect. In Study 2, GMT was applied in a pos tencephalitic patient seeking to improve her meal-preparation abilities. Bo th naturalistic observation and self-report measures revealed improved meal preparation performance following GMT. These studies provide both experime ntal and clinical support for the efficacy of GMT toward the treatment of e xecutive functioning deficits that compromise independence in patients with brain damage.