Effects on the brain of a psychological treatment: Cognitive remediation therapy

Abstract

BackgroundThe results of one randomised control trial testing a psychological rehabilitation programme aimed at information processing strategies showed improvements in cognition post-treatment.AimsTo determine whether there are concomitant brain activation changes as a result of engaging in cognitive remediation therapy (CRT).MethodThree groups (patients receiving control therapyor CRT and a healthy control group) were investigated in a repeated measures design using the two-back test. Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data and a broad assessment of executive functioning were completed at baseline and post-treatment. Brain activation changes were identified after accounting for possible task-correlated motion artefact.ResultsfMRI analyses indicate that the control group showed decreased activation butthetwo patient groups showed an increase in activation over time. The patient group that received successful CRT had significantly increased brain activation in regions associated with working memory particularly the frontocortical areas.ConclusionsThis isthefirsttimethat brain activation changes in a seriously disabled group of patients with schizophrenia can be associated clearly with psychological rather than pharmacological therapy.

Cognitive Remediation in Schizophrenia

“…Restorative models often gauge outcome by task-related neural activation of specific brain regions and normalization of task performance. In functional neuroimaging studies to determine whether there are concomitant brain activation changes as a result of engaging in restorative-based cognitive training, results demonstrated that normalized performance gains following memory training were correlated with increases in taskrelated activation of the frontocortical areas, particularly the left inferior frontal cortex (Wexler et al 2000;Wykes et al 2002). Normalized performance on memory tasks were associated with increased task-related activation of the same brain region that is activated during memory tasks in healthy individuals (Wexler et al 2000).…”

Functional Neuroimaging Studies of Cognitive Recovery After Acquired Brain Damage in Adults

“…In the last years neuroscientists have shown increasing interest in the rehabilitation of physical (e.g., Calautti and Baron, 2003;Nudo, 1999) and cognitive deficits (e.g., Carlomagno et al, 1997;Laatsch et al, 2004;Pizzamiglio et al, 2001;Robertson and Murre, 1999;Wykes et al, 2002) in brain-damaged patients. Neuropsychology is also interested in how rehabilitation may be influenced by findings from functional neuroimaging.…”

Testosterone, Sexual Offense Recidivism, and Treatment Effect Among Adult Male Sex Offenders

“…Although the serum testosterone itself is likely not affected by group-therapy treatment per se, the relevance of this variable decreases with that therapy. There is a growing body of research demonstrating that physiological/biological events occur in response to psychotherapeutic treatment (e.g., Brody et al, 2001;Furmark et al, 2002;Goldapple et al, 2004;Wykes et al, 2002). The theoretical possibility does therefore exist, that serum testosterone levels themselves may be influenced by group therapy.…”