[Outcome studies of cognitive remediation for schizophrenia]

Cognitive remediation purports to improve the cognitive dysfunction of schizophrenia, and has many forms. Eighty percent of people with schizophrenia suffer from cognitive dysfunction. The impact of cognitive dysfunction on everyday activity is widespread. Cognitive remediation as a non-pharmaceutical, psychosocial treatment modality for cognitive dysfunction has received attention as medical treatment has been able to make only limited gains. The ultimate goal of cognitive remediation is to improve the functional outcome. The increased interest in cognitive remediation resulted in numerous reports of outcome studies and meta-analysis. This paper reports different methods of cognitive remediation, evaluations of outcome studies, and various outcome indices. Cognitive remediation differs according to whether specific cognitions are targeted, and whether a method takes a compensatory or restorative approach. This paper briefly reviews methods of cognitive remediation which demonstrated their effect through RCT: IPT, NEAR, CET, and NET. Cognitive remediation often includes sessions that aim for transfer of the gained learning, such as verbal sessions or vocational skills training. Cognitive remediation is considered most effective when included as part of a comprehensive rehabilitation program. It is important to note that various studies report different outcome indices, control groups, and effect sizes in evaluating the effect of cognitive remediation.