Neuroplasticity-Based Auditory Training Via Laptop Computer Improves Cognition in Young Individuals With Recent Onset Schizophrenia

Intensive Auditory Cognitive Training Improves Verbal Memory in Adolescents and Young Adults at Clinical High Risk for Psychosis

“…This effect was driven by a significant improvement in verbal memory performance in the active treatment subjects, similar to the pattern we have reported previously in 2 independent samples of patients with schizophrenia. 4,5 Also consistent with our prior studies of established psychosis, small positive effect sizes were observed in the domains of global cognition (d = 0.23) and problem solving (d = 0.37), although these results did not reach statistical significance. The lack of significance may be due to the large attrition rate, which may have also contributed to the lack of significant differences between cognitive training and control game groups in these domains.…”

“…5 Participants age 18 and older gave written informed consent, while those younger than age 18 provided assent, with written parental/legal guardian consent. Baseline assessments were conducted prior to randomization.…”

“…4,5 We have previously suggested that intensive practice with visually-focused CG may reduce the capacity for verbal processing/verbal memory in an impaired neural system, a finding that, if replicated, may have important longer-term functional consequences for this population. 5 A WHO survey in 2010 found that 55% of adolescent males and 20% of females reported computer gaming more than 2 hours daily; presumably CHR individuals fall within this general range.…”

“…[4][5][6][7][8][9][10] In our work, we have focused on targeted training of the auditory system to improve neural system operations underlying verbal memory, based on a large literature demonstrating functionally important abnormalities in schizophrenia in the earliest stages of auditory processing and throughout the verbal encoding, working memory, and episodic memory system. 4,5,11 Interestingly, abnormalities in the language processing network have also been identified in young CHR individuals, and predict the transition to psychosis-suggesting that this neural system may be an important treatment target for this population. [12][13][14] To date, there have been 4 published studies of various forms of cognitive training in the CHR population.…”

“…Our primary hypothesis was that CHR subjects in the active treatment group would show greater improvements in verbal memory outcome measures from pre-to post-training as compared to a CG control group, based on our studies of the auditory training software in recent onset and chronic schizophrenia that demonstrated the strongest improvements in the verbal memory domain. 4,5 Secondary exploratory analyses addressed potential change in other cognitive domains, as well as in symptoms and functioning.…”