Cognitive Remediation of Neurocognitive Deficits in Schizophrenia

Schizophrenia is one of the most disabling illnesses. The prevalence of this illness is high, resulting in a significant burden to the person and to the society at large. Despite methodological variability across studies, there is consistency in reporting the presence of cognitive deficits in the early phase of the illness. Neurocognitive deficits form the core psychopathology and play a central role in the functional outcome. Cognitive remediation in schizophrenia is a promising treatment program to ameliorate cognitive deficits in schizophrenia. An integrated psychological intervention (IPI) program and a home-based cognitive remediation program were developed and tested in chronically ill schizophrenia patients and first-episode schizophrenia patients, respectively. The experience of applying the IPI in a chronically ill patient has been presented as a case illustration. Cognitive remediation at the very onset of the illness is warranted in order to limit future disability caused by this debilitating condition.