Maria S. Kovyazina

Background. A lot of brain damage including traumatic brain injuries during war can lead to persistent cognitive disorders and followed impaired functioning in everyday life. The main focus in dealing with such disorders is made on the neuropsychological (cognitive) rehabilitation. Patients psychoeducation aimed to creating an adequate internal picture of the disease and increasing self-awareness of deficits and behavior is considered as the first and the most important step in their rehabilitation process. Yet, to date the theoretical and methodological foundations of psychoeducation are not clear formulated and developed so it makes this stage of the cognitive rehabilitation not much effective.

Objective. Review and analysis of the research literature in the fields of clinical psychology and neuropsychology concerning implementation of psychoeducation for neurological patients, as well as discussion of relevant issues in this problematic area.

Results. The literature review has shown that “psychoeducation” was first officially recommended for severe mental illnesses and continues to develop in the modern system of psychosocial rehabilitation for psychiatric and psychosomatic patients as a special type of psychosocial intervention in the structure of their treatment and rehabilitation process. Various authors particularly highlight the learning aspect of psychoeducation, associated with the patient’s mastery of methods for recognizing the manifestations of his cognitive deficits and behavioral disorders.

Conclusions. Psychoeducation should be implemented in the practice of neuropsychological (cognitive) rehabilitation. In order to advance research and practice of psychoeducation for improving the effectiveness of cognitive rehabilitation, it is necessary to develop it as a typical educational process where each stage should be matched with adequate tools and practices. In addition, psychoeducation should be linked to the treatment process and to specific therapeutic and rehabilitation goals.

Background. The increasing incidence of stroke among young individuals challenges its traditional understanding as of an age-associated disease. The general lack of familiarity with this issue among not only neurologists but also other specialists underscores its importance and indicates that it is understudied. In 15–40% of cases, the cause of stroke in young people remains undetermined. Special scientific interest is directed towards various (including long-term) consequences of cerebrovascular accidents in the young, primarily affecting the cognitive and emotional-personal realms. These consequences are crucial in the context of the patients' working and reproductive age, impacting their quality of life.

Objectives. To review domestic and foreign publications on the problem of stroke at a young age, analyze the available clinical and psychological data and identify promising areas of neuropsychological research on the problem.

Methods. Comparative method, a combination of methods for text analysis, analysis of clinical psychological data.

Results. A review of articles indicates that the first neuropsychological studies of young patients with strokes date back to the 1970s and 1980s. According to scientific publications, younger stroke patients have a better prognosis for physical and cognitive rehabilitation compared to older age groups. Yet, the specifics of cognitive impairments are often noted but not analyzed in depth. However, many studies focus on the issues related to professional and social adaptation of these patients.

Conclusions. Stroke in young individuals features distinct neuropsychological impairments compared to those in older and elderly age groups. These neuropsychological consequences require further research and may relate to the cognitive sphere of individuals. There is a need to standardize methodological approaches in stroke research among young people to improve data comparability and develop more effective diagnostic and treatment methods. Additionally, there is a demand for developing and adapting diagnostic tools that can detect subtle symptoms of cognitive impairments in young patients. This, in turn, will allow for linking specific cognitive deficits to difficulties in professional and social adaptation.