PRIMARY OBJECTIVE: To systematically review the evidence of the effects of motivating rehabilitation interventions on outcomes in children with acquired brain injury (ABI). METHODS: A literature search of six databases was conducted to identify intervention studies published until July 2013. The American Academy for Cerebral Palsy and Developmental Medicine (AACPDM) systematic review methodology was used as a framework. Two reviewers independently extracted data and assessed level of evidence and quality of studies. RESULTS: Of 891 records initially retrieved, 166 were screened by abstract and 31 by full text; 10 studies comprised of five randomized controlled trials, two case series and three single subject research design studies met the inclusion criteria. Studies fell into three intervention categories: (1) token economy based interventions; (2) virtual reality (VR); and (3) memory and attention interventions. CONCLUSIONS: A paucity of evidence has examined the effects of rehabilitation interventions with a motivational component. Token economies can significantly enhance memory and response inhibition performance in children with ABI. VR systems are motivating, yet findings are limited by the lack of use and availability of psychometrically evaluated measures of motivation. Findings point to the need for further research to evaluate the effects of motivation-based interventions.

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