Changes in memory and attention during and after occupational rehabilitation: A longitudinal study.

The study design cannot prove causality; it is possible that people with better cognitive recovery were able to return to work sooner, rather than work causing the recovery. The effect sizes for attention improvements were small to moderate, so the clinical meaningfulness for individual patients may be limited. Cognitive testing was done at set intervals, not immediately before or after work, so it does not capture real-time cognitive load during employment. The groups differed in education levels, though this was controlled for statistically. The study only measured sustained attention and working memory, ignoring other executive functions that may also be affected by work. Learning effects from repeated testing cannot be completely ruled out, although a control group was used.

The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

Do not assume that returning to work will automatically improve all cognitive domains. This study found no significant improvement in working memory, and the improvements in sustained attention had small to moderate effect sizes. The relationship is not necessarily causal; patients with better baseline cognition may have simply been able to return to work faster.