According to MedicalNewsToday, progress has been made in regard to identifying potential methods of cognitive remediation in patients with schizophrenia. Schizophrenia is a condition where those who develop symptoms, usually in their late teens to their late twenties, suffer from delusions, disorganized speech, disorganized behavior, hallucinations, or other negative symptoms for a functional impairment period of at least 6 months. Targeted Cognitive Training, or TCT, is one implemented method used to attempt to rectify the cognitive hurdles that those with schizophrenia may experience. Scientists such as Gregory A. Light, Ph.D found success when he approached a group of chronic, treatment-refractory patients who had previously been hospitalized due to their conditions by enrolling them in a TCT program. This involved using a laptop with the program over the span of three months. After this period, hallucinations decreased and verbal learning abilities improved significantly, leading to the assumption that cognitive exercise such as TCT seems to be effective in treating cognitive abilities in schizophrenic patients.
On February 18th, 2019 Dr. Molly Erickson presented at Loyola University of Chicago to discuss her research also regarding patients dealing with schizophrenia. Specifically, her research was interested in a potential source of the impeded cognitively ability closely tied with the development of schizophrenia, which she believed to be in the encoding and consolidation process of working memory. Originally, methods like computerized-cognitive training, such as the commonly known program Luminocity or TCT, were utilized in attempts to maintain or improve and maintain the healthy cognitive function as well as those suffering from some sort of cognitive impairment, such as the kind that may develop with people who develop schizophrenia.
While this method has seen some improvement and effectiveness in helping schizophrenic patients get more adept at certain cognitive tasks, working memory-based problem solving is one region where things such as Luminocity and TCT still fell short. When Dr. Erickson and her team took a closer look at alpha-dynsynchronization and beta-desynchronization behavior during cognitive processes in working memory they found that when they allowed for schizophrenic patients to practice and exercise alpha-desynchronization in regard to a graphic image, essentially training themselves to exercise that cognitive muscle, that their working memory improved. Alpha-desynchronization is believed to have a potentially causal role in working memory capacity, thus improved working memory capacity was observed after patients were given the opportunity to remediate with more permanent effectiveness than computerized-cognitive training.
Sources
Erickson, M. A., Smith, D., Albrecht, M. A., & Silverstein, S. (2019, July 18). Alpha‐band
desynchronization reflects memory‐specific processes during visual change detection.
Retrieved February 22, 2020, from
Sandoiu, A. (2018, December 9). This form of brain training may help treat severe
schizophrenia. Retrieved February 22, 2020, from
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