Multitasking capacities in persons diagnosed with schizophrenia: A preliminary examination of their neurocognitive underpinnings and ability to predict real world functioning

Abstract

Difficulties in everyday life activities are core features of persons diagnosed with schizophrenia and in particular during multitasking activities. However, at present, patients׳ multitasking capacities have not been adequately examined in the literature due to the absence of suitable assessment strategies. We thus recently developed a computerized real-life activity task designed to take into account the complex and multitasking nature of certain everyday life activities where participants are required to prepare a room for a meeting. Twenty-one individuals diagnosed with schizophrenia and 20 matched healthy controls completed the computerized task. Patients were also evaluated with a cognitive battery, measures of symptomatology and real world functioning. To examine the ecological validity, 14 other patients were recruited and were given the computerized version and a real version of the meeting preparation task. Results showed that performance on the computerized task was significantly correlated with executive functioning, pointing to the major implication of these cognitive processes in multitasking situations. Performance on the computerized task also significantly predicted up to 50% of real world functioning. Moreover, the computerized task demonstrated good ecological validity. These findings suggest the importance of evaluating multitasking capacities in patients diagnosed with schizophrenia in order to predict real world functioning.

No sex difference in an everyday multitasking paradigm

“…The CMPT was first described in Laloyaux et al, (2014); an updated version has been used in a recently accepted article (Laloyaux, Van der Linden, Nuechterlein, Thonon, & Larøi, in press). Table 2 illustrates how all eight criteria for everyday multitasking situations that have been put forward by Burgess (2000) were implemented in the CMPT.…”

“…Familiarity with video games and computers was assessed with an in-house questionnaire (Laloyaux et al, 2014, in press) composed of 6 questions asking participants to indicate the last time they used a computer or played with video games, the frequency of using a computer and playing with video games, their level of comfort with the utilization of a computer mouse, and finding their way in a virtual environment while playing with video games. Each question is scored on a 4-point Likert scale.…”

“…The CMPT was originally conceived to assess the multitasking abilities of patients with schizophrenia, who were found to have profound multitasking difficulties (Laloyaux et al, 2014). However, given the issues with previous studies outlined above, we believe that the CMPT is very useful in the context of studying sex differences in multitasking abilities: First, unlike rather abstract paradigms, the CMPT has high ecological validity.…”

“…69–70), the empirical evidence for a behavioral sex difference in multitasking is sparse and inconsistent, in particular, when it comes to serial multitasking abilities. The present study sought to add data to the discussion of whether the alleged female superiority exists by assessing males’ and females’ performance in an already established everyday situation multitasking paradigm (Laloyaux et al, 2014). Given the heterogeneous findings so far, we had no specific hypothesis as to whether a sex difference exists.…”

Design and assessment of enabling environments for cooking activities

“…Contact sensors indicate when he opens or closes specific cupboards, drawers or the fridge doors. Home energy monitors detect when he turns on or off the oven [14]. Flow meters sense when he open cold or hot water taps of the sink.…”