Cognitive Remediation of Working Memory Deficits in Patients with Schizophrenic Disorder

Abstract

Background: The present study focuses upon the effects of cognitive remediation programme upon the working memory deficits of the patients with schizophrenic disorder. Schizophrenia is a chronic, severe and debilitating psychiatric illness. It is often described in terms of positive and negative symptoms. The working memory deficits are considered a cardinal cognitive feature of schizophrenia. Methods: Five patients admitted in Ranchi Institute of NeuroPsychiatry and Allied Sciences (RINPAS), Ranchi, India in the age range of 20 to 40 years of male sex, meeting the ICD-10 DCR criteria of schizophrenia with minimum education of 12 years were taken for the study, following purposive sampling technique. A self developed socio-demographic and clinical data sheet was used to assess the socio-demographic correlates, the Positive and Negative Symptom Scale developed was used for assessing the psychotic symptoms, The Wisconsin Card Sorting Test and the Stroop test was used for assessing the executive functions and the Letter-Number Sequencing and Spatial Span Subtests taken from the Wechsler Memory ScaleIII were used for assessing the working memory of the subjects included in the study. Then a cognitive remediation programme was given to them for a period of three months after which the tests were readministered to see the effects of the intervention programme. Results: The patients suffering from schizophrenia show improved working memory ability after the cognitive remediation programme. Conclusion: Cognitive remediation programme has a positive effect upon the executive functioning,specially working memory of the patients suffering from schizophrenic disorder.