NORMAL NEUROCOGNITIVE PERFORMANCE AFTER EXTENDED PRACTICE IN PATIENTSWITH SCHIZOPHRENIA

This study evaluated new methods for improving the performance of pati ents with schizophrenia on specific neurocognitive tasks. Patients (n= 22) practiced sustained perceptual, memory and motor tasks 5 times/wee k for 10 weeks. Tasks were initially easy enough for patients to do we ll, but were made gradually more difficult over the 10 weeks. Patients received base pay and performance-based monetary supplements. No coac hing or ongoing instruction was provided, and performance gains were a ssumed to depend upon implicit learning. High functioning healthy cont rols (n=5) were given the same tasks at difficulty levels comparable t o those achieved by patients after 10 weeks of practice. After 10 week s of practice, 16 of the 22 patients performed as well or better than the best control on the perceptual and memory tasks, and 11 patients p erformed within the range of control subjects on the motor task. Half of the patients retested 6 months after training maintained supranorma l performance, while the others showed marked performance declines. Pa tients with schizophrenia appear to have greater potential for neuroco gnitive improvement, and potentially for employment, than generally ap preciated. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science B.V.