Patients with severe schizophrenia have seen their symptoms decrease thanks to targeted cognitive training conducted with computer games. Explanations.
Schizophrenia is one of the most difficult mental illnesses to treat. In France, it affects between 600,000 and 1 million people. It is characterized by a large number of symptoms: hallucinations, mood disorders and cognitive disorders, in particular of verbal memory and working memory which can be explained, in part, by abnormalities in the early processing of auditory information.
TST, an effective treatment for mild to moderate forms of schizophrenia
In recent years, targeted cognitive training (TCT) has emerged as a promising therapeutic intervention for mild to moderate forms of schizophrenia. It is based on computer games offering sophisticated brain activities. This approach helps target specific neural pathways, such as memory, learning, and auditory-based senses. These exercises can beneficially change the way patients’ brains process information.
For this study, scientists sought to show that TST also improves auditory and verbal outcomes in patients with a severe form of schizophrenia. “Chronic patients, refractory to the treatment used by healthcare institutions, are certainly relatively few in number but consume a disproportionate share of mental health care resources,” said Gregory Light, lead author of the study, to justify the research. new treatment methods. “Finding an effective treatment for them is essential.” The results of the study have been published in the journal Schizophrenia Research.
Reduction of auditory hallucinations
The researchers conducted their study on 46 patients with schizophrenic psychosis, a severe form of the disease, and recruited into a specialized treatment program. All were considered “severely disabled”, unable to care for themselves and under guardianship. The participants were randomized, ie divided into two groups: one received standard treatment (TAU) while the other received TCT treatment for three months. The patients in this second group carried out various learning exercises and memory games on the computer, often using sound signals.
The researchers found that patients who received the TCT treatment improved verbal learning and auditory perception scores as well as a decrease in the severity of auditory hallucinations. “Our results suggest that TSTs may benefit patients with chronic conditions and severe disabilities,” said Gregory Light. “This contradicts current assumptions.” Of note, age, clinical symptoms, medications, and disease duration did not negatively affect benefit.
Go even further
However, Gregory Light made a point of specifying that it is necessary to go still further if one wants to treat the patients reached of schizophrenia as well as possible. “We are halfway between the Wild West and the golden age of cognitive training for patients with schizophrenia. There is still much to learn and to do.”
To improve the effectiveness of treatments, it is necessary to detect the disease as soon as possible. However, early diagnosis is difficult because this pathology remains largely unknown. Recently, researchers have put forward twelve symptoms which, if proven, allow early detection of the disease in order to then treat it as effectively as possible.
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