Cognitive rehabilitation of the updating sub-component of working memory in schizophrenia: A case study

Abstract

Working memory problems have been identified as a core cognitive deficit in schizophrenia. In this paper, we present the results of a cognitive rehabilitation programme (Duval & Coyette, 2005) administered to a schizophrenia patient, and specifically designed to improve the updating sub-component of working memory. The original feature of this programme was that it involved two types of updating exercises: cognitive and ecological. The purpose was to enable the patient to acquire cognitive strategies that alleviate the mental load of the central executive and to transfer them to daily life. The specificity and efficacy of the programme were assessed with multiple (cognitive, ecological and non-target) baseline measurements. In addition, several questionnaires were administered to assess the effect of the programme on subjective cognitive complaints affecting daily life, psychiatric symptoms and self-esteem. The results demonstrated the efficacy of the rehabilitation programme on the updating function and the generalisation of these beneficial effects to daily life. A significant decrease in both subjective cognitive complaints and psychiatric symptoms was also observed. However, the patient's self-esteem did not improve.

Notes from Underground: Are cognitive-enhancing drugs respecting their promises?

“…Also, these remediation effects are durable up to at least 6 months after the interventions are withdrawn. Finally, and most importantly, these neuropsychological gains translate to improvements in real-world activities (Larøi and Van der Linden, 2007; Levaux et al, 2009; Medalia and Choi, 2009). Similarly, cognitive remediation programmes address prominent, complementary functional domains such as social cognition – and studies have furthermore observed beneficial effects on functional outcome measures in patients post-treatment (for reviews see Couture et al, 2006; Penn et al, 2008).…”

Doping for Chess Performance

“…Also, these remediation effects are durable up to at least 6 months after the interventions are withdrawn [168]. Finally, and most importantly, these neuropsychological gains translate to improvements in real-world activities [169][170][171]. Similarily, cogni tive remediation programmes address prominent, complementary functional domains such as social cognition -and studies have furthermore observed beneficial effects on functional outcome measures in patient's posttreatment [172,173].…”

Remédiation cognitive des patients schizophrènes dans les pays francophones

“…Prenant en compte l'importante hétérogénéité des déficits cognitifs et des difficultés dans la vie quotidienne, cette approche se fonde essentiellement sur une méthodologie en cas uniques. Dans une première étude publiée [39], un patient schizophrène présentait un déficit spécifique de mise à jour en mémoire de travail (à savoir une difficulté à modifier de façon flexible et continue le contenu de la mémoire de travail en fonction de l'arrivée de nouvelles informations). Ce déficit a été mis en relation avec les difficultés rencontrées par le patient dans sa vie quotidienne : suivre une conversation ou une émission de radio, comprendre le déroulement d'un récit lu.…”