Working Memory and Processing Speed Training in Schizophrenia: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Individuals with schizophrenia are generally found to experience cognitive deficits in most domains of cognition. Moreover, greater cognitive deficits have been associated with poorer daily functioning in schizophrenia. Given these findings, cognitive training has been a burgeoning area of research in recent years, with some evidence suggesting that cognitive training programs may improve cognition for individuals with schizophrenia. However, the state of the literature remains unclear as to which domains of cognition should be targeted to produce the most widespread benefits for individuals with schizophrenia. One suggestion is that targeting lower-level cognitive processes that are important for higher-level and more complex aspects of cognition may produce the most widespread and durable benefits in cognition and everyday functioning. In particular, working memory (WM) and processing speed (PS) have been named as two key areas of deficit in schizophrenia, and two domains of cognition that may be linked to higher-order cognition and daily functioning. This study aimed to investigate the near-transfer (transfer of gains to related contexts), far-transfer (transfer of gains to unrelated contexts), and real-world gains associated with WM and PS training in schizophrenia. To this end, 83 participants with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder were recruited and randomly assigned to computerized WM training, PS training, or a no-training control group. Results showed that PS training led to significant gains in untrained PS tasks as well as gains in far-transfer tasks that required speed of processing, relative to the other groups. WM training did not lead to gains in untrained WM tasks, and showed inconsistent effects on some far-transfer tasks. These results suggest that there can be benefits of domain-specific cognitive training, specifically PS training, in schizophrenia. Far-transfer of gains to other cognitive domains and to real-world functioning may not occur after targeted WM or PS training, though non-specific effects (e.g., through behavioural activation, increased motivation) may lead to improvements on some cognitive tasks. Future studies should continue to investigate the mechanisms by which cognitive training may lead to enhancements in cognition and functioning in schizophrenia.

Name thesis:degree_name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Clinical Psychology

Grantor dc:publisher.institution

Arts

Year dc:date.issued

2018

Author dc:creator

• Cassetta, Briana Diane

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Tomfohr-Madsen, Lianne M.

Committee members dc:contributor.committeemember

• Addington, Jean
• Goldberg, Joel
• Sears, Christopher R.
• Ewashen, Carol J.

• Schizophrenia
• Cognitive Training
• Working memory
• Processing Speed

Statement dc:rights

• University of Calgary graduate students retain copyright ownership and moral rights for their thesis. You may use this material in any way that is permitted by the Copyright Act or through licensing that has been assigned to the document. For uses that are not allowable under copyright legislation or licensing, you are required to seek permission.

Language dc:language.iso

eng

DOI

http://dx.doi.org/10.11575/PRISM/31998

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:ucalgary.scholaris.ca:1880/106772