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Executive function remediation in schizophrenia: possible strategies and methods

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  11 October 2011

Paolo Stratta  and
Alessandro Rossi
Paolo Stratta
Affiliation:
ASL L'Aquila, Dipartimento di Salute Mentale, L'Aquila (Italy)
Alessandro Rossi*
Affiliation:
Dipartimento di Medicina Sperimentale, Università de L'Aquila, L'Aquila (Italy)
*
Address for correspondence: Professor A. Rossi, Dipartimento di Medicina Sperimentale, Università de L'Aquila, Località Coppito II, 67100 L'Aquila (Italy). Fax: +39-0862-433.602 E-mail: [email protected]
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Abstract

Summary

Aim and Method – The paper is a selective review of the literature on strategies and methods of cognitive remediation in schizophrenic disorders. It has been focused on the remediation of executive functions and the present hypotheses about the possibility of an improvement of the neurocognitive deficit through specific interventions. Results and Conclusions –People with Schizophrenic Disorders have some degree of cognitive deficit that often precede the clinical onset not secondary to the pathology characteristics persisting even when the positive symptoms have been resolved. The possibility that the neurocognitive deficits could be modified by psychological remediation with effects not exclusively confined to the cognitive domain has been nowadays accepted and numerous studies demonstrate that these interventions are effective and durable with a positive impact on social and working abilities, symptomatology and self-esteem.

Declaration of Interest

the authors declare that no economical support was obtained for this paper and no other kind of conflict of interest is present.

Keywords

cognitive remediationexecutive functionsWisconsin Card Sorting Testneuropsychologyschizophrenia
Type
Original Papers
Information
Epidemiology and Psychiatric Sciences , Volume 13 , Issue 1 , March 2004 , pp. 55 - 65
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2004

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