Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 8, 2026
07:05
A Protocol for the Administration of Real-Time fMRI Neurofeedback Training
Published on: August 24, 2017
Cognitive training in schizophrenia: a neuroscience-based approach.
Alexander Genevsky1, Coleman T Garrett, Phillip P Alexander
1Mental Health Service, San Francisco Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, California 94121, USA.
Dialogues in Clinical Neuroscience
|October 20, 2010
Summary
Cognitive training for schizophrenia shows significant improvements in memory and cognition. These gains are linked to brain plasticity, suggesting effective therapeutic strategies for cognitive deficits.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Cognitive Psychology
- Psychiatry
Background:
- Cognitive deficits are a core symptom of schizophrenia, significantly impacting functional outcomes.
- Previous cognitive remediation efforts have shown variable success, necessitating refined approaches.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the efficacy of a novel cognitive training program for schizophrenia based on recent neuroscience findings.
- To explore the neurobiological underpinnings of cognitive improvements following targeted training.
Main Methods:
- A preliminary randomized controlled trial was conducted.
- Participants received cognitive training exercises emphasizing repetitive practice, high dosage, sensory processing, and adaptive learning.
- Cognitive functions (working memory, verbal learning) and global cognition were assessed.
- Neuroimaging was used to evaluate learning-induced cortical plasticity.
Main Results:
- Significant improvements were observed in working memory, verbal learning and memory, and global cognition in the training group compared to controls.
- Neurobiological findings indicated increased cortical plasticity, correlating with cognitive gains.
- The training approach incorporated key elements identified from meta-analytic data and basic neuroscience.
Conclusions:
- The developed cognitive training program shows promise for improving cognitive function in schizophrenia.
- The results support the role of targeted cognitive training in inducing neuroplasticity and ameliorating cognitive deficits.
- Further research is warranted to optimize and validate these cognitive remediation strategies.
Related Concept Videos
01:01Neuroplasticity
Neuroplasticity reflects the brain's remarkable capacity to adapt and evolve, responding dynamically to learning, experiences, or injury by reorganizing its neural circuitry. This reorganization involves creating new neural connections and refining old ones through a series of biological processes that contribute to the brain's lifelong development and adaptability.
01:25Cognitive Therapy
Cognitive therapy, pioneered by Aaron T. Beck in the 1960s, is a structured approach to addressing psychological distress by focusing on the influence of thoughts on emotions and behaviors. All cognitive therapies involve the basic assumption that human beings have control over their feelings, and that how individuals feel about something depends on how they think about it. Unlike psychoanalytic methods that delve into unconscious processes or humanistic approaches emphasizing...
01:29Biological Causes of Schizophrenia
Schizophrenia, a severe psychiatric disorder, arises from a complex interplay of biological factors, including genetic predisposition, structural brain abnormalities, neurotransmitter dysregulation, and developmental irregularities. These factors collectively contribute to the onset and progression of the disorder, which typically manifests in late adolescence or early adulthood.
Genetic Factors in Schizophrenia
The genetic basis of schizophrenia is strongly supported by family and twin studies.
Genetic Factors in Schizophrenia
The genetic basis of schizophrenia is strongly supported by family and twin studies.
01:14Brain Imaging
Brain imaging technologies provide critical insights into both the structure and function of the human brain, enabling medical professionals and researchers to diagnose, study, and treat neurological disorders or psychiatric disorders more effectively.
These technologies include computerized axial tomography (CAT or CT scans), positron-emission tomography (PET scans), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), and Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS).
These technologies include computerized axial tomography (CAT or CT scans), positron-emission tomography (PET scans), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), and Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS).
01:22Alzheimer's Disease: Treatment
Alzheimer's Disease (AD), a neurodegenerative disorder, is pathologically identified by amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles composed of tau protein. AD pharmacotherapy aims to manage cognitive symptoms, delay disease progression, and treat behavioral symptoms. The treatment is primarily symptomatic and palliative, with no definitive disease-modifying therapy available. Cholinesterase inhibitors, including donepezil (Aricept), rivastigmine (Exelon), and galantamine (Razadyne), are...
01:17Cognitivism
Cognitive psychology emerged as a significant field in the mid-20th century. It focused on understanding humans' internal mental processes. This approach emphasizes how people perceive, remember, think, and solve problems—elements critical to human cognition.
Previously dominated by behaviorism, which prioritized observable behaviors and largely ignored mental processes, psychology transformed in the 1950s. Cognitive psychologists argue that understanding how we think and process information is...
Previously dominated by behaviorism, which prioritized observable behaviors and largely ignored mental processes, psychology transformed in the 1950s. Cognitive psychologists argue that understanding how we think and process information is...