Role of cognitive remediation in enhancing memory in patients of schizophrenia

Pages: 524-529
Sarah Javed, Suhail Ahmed Azmi, and Deoshree Akhouri (Department of Psychiatry, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh)

Cognitive impairment has a high prevalence in Schizophrenia and has been linked to functional outcome. To date statistically significant effects of medication on cognition in mood disorder trials and in schizophrenia do not necessarily translate to clinically meaningful effects. Apart from it other potentials benefits like being less expensive, not being cause dependent and having no side effect increases demands of non pharmacological programs. Keeping this in view following objectives were set for the study. Development of a cognitive remediation package and investigating the efficacy of that cognitive remediation program of neuropsychological deficits in terms of memory. 100 schizophrenic patients as per ICD 10 who came to Psychiatry OPD of Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh, UP, India were recruited for the study. Patients were randomly allocated to experimental group and control group. Patients in experimental group were given cognitive remediation therapy for 3 months and patients of control group were on treatment as usual. Memory was assesses using PGI Memory scale at baseline, post treatment (3 months) and follow up (6 months). Participants in experimental group improved more than those in control group on cognitive functioning post training with attenuation of some gains at the 6 months.