Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 21, 2026

Development of a Virtual Reality Assessment of Everyday Living Skills
Published on: April 23, 2014
Cognitive deficits as treatment targets in schizophrenia
1Department of Psychiatry, University of Maryland Baltimore School of Medicine, Maryland Psychiatric Research Center, Baltimore, MD 21228, USA. jgold@mprc.umaryland.edu
Abstract:
Cognitive impairment has emerged as an important new target in schizophrenia therapeutics in light of evidence that cognitive deficits are critically related to the functional of disability that is characteristic of the illness. Evidence is briefly reviewed supporting the idea that the cognitive impairment in schizophrenia is an attractive target for therapeutic intervention including: (1) there is a characteristic pattern of cognitive deficits that occur with very high frequency; (2) the deficits are relatively stable over time; and (3) cognitive deficits are relatively independent of the symptomatic manifestations of the illness. Thus, cognitive impairment appears to be a well-defined, reliable and distinct dimension of the illness.
Related Concept Videos
Negative and Cognitive Symptoms of Schizophrenia
Negative Symptoms
Negative symptoms of schizophrenia manifest as deficits in normal emotional and behavioral functioning, profoundly impacting daily life. Individuals with schizophrenia often display a flat affect, characterized by a near-total absence of emotional expression,...
Psychosis: Goals of Pharmacotherapy
Cognitive Therapy
Psychological and Sociocultural Causes of Schizophrenia
Alzheimer's Disease: Treatment
Positive Symptoms of Schizophrenia: Hallucinations and Delusions
Thought Disorders
Disorganized and unusual thought processes mark thought disorders in schizophrenia. One key feature is disorganized speech, where an individual's conversation includes loosely...