Working memory training in schizophrenia and healthy populations

Linette Lawlor-Savage, Vina M Goghari, Linette Lawlor-Savage, Vina M Goghari

Abstract

Cognitive deficits are consistently demonstrated in individuals with schizophrenia. Cognitive training involves structured exercises prescribed and undertaken with the intention of enhancing cognitive abilities such as attention, memory, and problem solving. Thus, cognitive training represents a potentially promising intervention for enhancing cognitive abilities in schizophrenia. However, cognitive training programs are numerous and heterogeneous, hence, the generalizability of training related outcomes can be challenging to assess. This article will provide a brief overview of current literature on cognitive training and explore how knowledge of working memory training in healthy populations can potentially be applied to enhance cognitive functioning of individuals with schizophrenia.

Keywords: cognitive remediation; dual n-back; intelligence; schizophrenia; working memory.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
An example of a 2-back condition of a dual n-back task. Reproduced with permission from [41].

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