PRELIMINARY EVALUATION OF COGNITIVE ADAPTATION TRAINING TO COMPENSATEFOR COGNITIVE DEFICITS IN SCHIZOPHRENIA

Cognitive adaptation training is a treatment approach designed to alte r the physical environment of patients with schizophrenia to compensat e for cognitive deficits and improve adaptive function, A wide range o f environmental manipulations such as labels, signs, schedules, and re arrangement of objects are employed, In a preliminary study at a state hospital, outcomes for cognitive adaptation training were compared wi th outcomes for standard psychosocial treatment for two groups of pati ents with schizophrenia, matched on levels of functional impairment an d symptoms, Both groups showed improvement in symptoms and adaptive fu nction, but patients receiving the specialized training showed greater improvement in adaptive function than did the standard-treatment grou p.