The e-mail program CogLink doesn't look anything like what you're used to. No menu of buttons across the top. No inbox or outbox. No list of messages sent and received, with those you've replied to marked with a check and those you've forwarded showing a small arrow.

"One of the things I've learned is that people abandon this stuff at a pretty high rate. It just doesn't end up getting used. Everyone gets excited, but then it gets put in the closet," he said.

CogLink has also proved a boon to older people who don't have brain injuries but aren't familiar with more complex computer programs. The program has a monthly subscription fee of $10 that provides users with technical support that includes adding or subtracting people from their buddy lists.