Abstract

A critical review of randomized, controlled trials of cognitive rehabilitation for the elementary and social cognitive deficits characteristic of schizophrenia conducted between the years 2000-2006 was completed. Results revealed that a range of cognitive remediation strategies typically consisting of repeated task practice, but varying widely along dimensions of duration, intensity, method, target of behavioral intervention, and clinical status of participants, produced improvements on measures of working and verbal memory, and executive-function most commonly. There was little evidence of effects of cognitive rehabilitation on measures of attention or positive symptoms of schizophrenia such as delusions or hallucinations in studies conducted between the years 2000-2006. Studies of social cognitive remediation have revealed strong evidence for improvements of facial affect perception deficits with even brief one-session interventions. Two studies have shown that combining cognitive remediation interventions with evidence-based vocational rehabilitation and supported employment programs produce markedly superior employment outcomes than when those same workrelated interventions are offered in the absence of remediation strategies. A variety of approaches for future research are discussed.

Keywords: cognitive strategies, neurocognitive enhancement therapy, Attention Process Training, cognitive remediation therapy, Positive and Negative Symptom Scale