Traumatic brain injury (TBI) can cause cognitive, communication, and psychological challenges that profoundly limit independence in everyday life. Conversational Agents (CAs) can provide individuals with TBI with cognitive and communication support, although little is known about how they make use of CAs to address injury-related needs. In this study, we gave nine adults with TBI an at-home CA for four weeks to investigate use patterns, challenges, and design requirements, focusing particularly on injury-related use. The findings revealed significant gaps between the current capabilities of CAs and accessibility challenges faced by TBI users. We also identified 14 TBI-related activities that participants engaged in with CAs. We categorized those activities into four groups: mental health, cognitive activities, healthcare and rehabilitation, and routine activities. Design implications focus on accessibility improvements and functional designs of CAs that can better support the day-to-day needs of people with TBI.

翻译：创伤性脑损伤（TBI）可能导致认知、沟通及心理障碍，严重限制日常生活中的独立性。对话代理（CAs）能够为脑外伤患者提供认知与沟通支持，但关于他们如何利用CAs应对损伤相关需求的研究尚不充分。本研究为九名成年脑外伤患者配备家用对话代理，进行为期四周的观察，重点探究其使用模式、挑战及设计需求，尤其关注损伤相关的使用行为。研究结果显示，当前CAs的能力与脑外伤用户面临的可及性挑战之间存在显著差距。我们还识别出参与者使用CAs完成的14项与脑外伤相关的活动，并将其归纳为四类：心理健康、认知活动、医疗康复及日常事务。设计启示聚焦于提升可及性及功能设计，使CAs能更有效地支持脑外伤患者的日常需求。