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The aim of this study was to identify specific cognitive patterns related to long-term vocational training outcome. Records of twenty-eight patients who had benefited from a professional rehabilitation program were retrospectively processed. Screening through machine learning algorithms of patients' neuropsychological scores identified cognitive patterns related to both vocational training outcomes: succeeded or failed. These patterns were based on cognitive performance intervals even if the cognitive ability was not impaired. The cognitive pattern related to a successful vocational training included performance intervals on measures underlying verbal memory consolidation, visual memory incidental recall, problem solving and planning abilities. The cognitive pattern explaining failure of vocational training included performance intervals on tasks involving planning and problem solving abilities. From a comprehensive neuropsychological battery, memory and executive measures appeared to be the best attributes related to the vocational training outcome in patients with brain injury. Even with a cognitive functioning above the pathological cutoff, patients suffering from a brain injury could fail a vocational training. The attributes related to the vocational training outcome would be more a specific level of cognitive functioning rather than an interpretation of neuropsychological scores only based on a normal versus pathological distinction.

The aim of this study was to propose new measures to evaluate memory processes in patients with severe traumatic brain injury (TBI). In this purpose, we analyzed learning and consolidation processes depending on own patient's performance during a memory test.One-week Free and Cued Selective Reminding Test - word version (1W-FCSRT-word), which special feature relies on a 30-min and a 1-week-delayed recall after encoding, was administered to a group of 43 patients with severe TBI (age range from 20 to 54 years) and a group of neurologically healthy volunteers matched for age and gender.Patients performed worse than healthy volunteers for the learning score. Their forgetting percentage was above healthy volunteers' performance and difference between the two groups increased with the delay from the learning phase.In patients with severe TBI, our results underlined an altered learning and an impairment of long-term consolidation. It is crucial to detect these deficits in the aim to highlight, with a better accuracy, these patients' memory complaints and to propose a better professional rehabilitation.