Cognitive remediation positively impacts cognition and psychopathological symptoms in patients with schizophrenia: A preliminary study

Cognitive impairment is common in patients with schizophrenia and has been found to predict functioning and quality of life. Here we investigated the efficacy of a computer assisted cognitive rehabilitation intervention in patients with Schizophrenia. Twenty patients with schizophrenia were recruited. Ten participants were randomly allocated to the intervention group (IG) and the other ten served as a sham control group (CG). The IG received biweekly, 60-minute sessions of cognitive rehabilitation with the REHACOM software, and routine psychiatric care for 8-weeks. The CG completed nonspecific sham computer-based activities at home with the same frequency and duration and routine psychiatric care. Primary cognitive outcome measures included the TMT parts A and B, Verbal Fluency Test (VFT), SDMT and secondary outcome measures, the PANSS and WHODAS Scales. Groups were well matched on demographic and clinical characteristics, premorbid intelligence and severity of cognitive deficits at baseline. Post treatment assessment of the IG group showed significant improvements compared to the CG in attention/processing speed, executive function, semantic fluency, negative, general and total PANSS scales, and the WHODAS. We provide preliminary evidence supporting the efficacy of restorative cognitive rehabilitation, suggesting that adaptive neuroplasticity may occur after cognitive remediation in this population.