Kognitive therapie von störungen der exekutivfunktionen

Executive dysfunctions are often overlooked in clinical settings and, and because of their complexity, often insufficiently considered in neuropsychological therapy programmes. In addition deficiencies related to everyday life often occur only in complex situations. The therapy of executive dysfunctions plays a major role for a successful completion of the therapy, reflecting in independence in everyday life, restoration of working capacity, and social integration [19]. This makes the importance of a detailed diagnosis and, based on it, of a clearly structured therapy program evident for the rehabilitation outcome. The clinical guideline we suggest here is subdivided into the therapy of three subcomponents of executive functions and their combination. We present some modules with working materials for the therapy of(a) cognitive flexibility, (b) working memory processes, and (c) action design. We outline the therapy of executive functions in patients who are slightly to moderately severe impaired without showing massive behavioral impairments or changes in personality. The present therapy programme focuses exclusively on cognitive components, is goal-orientated, and allows a successive increase in the difficulty scale and a gradual integration and combination of the training of subprocesses.