Treating cognitive dysfunction in patients with schizophrenia

Cognitive dysfunction is a common, chronically disabling component of schiz ophrenia. It has been proposed that many of the symptoms of schizophrenia c an be understood as a result of disruption of fundamental cognitive process es. This paper reviews treatment strategies aimed at improving cognitive fu nction in patients with schizophrenia. Nonpharmacologic interventions inclu de instruction in the performance of tasks such as the Wisconsin Card Sorti ng Test. Mixed results have been achieved,but it appears that instruction m ethods involving reinforcement of information held in working memory are mo re successful. Computer-aided remediation has also been used with variable success. Novel antipsychotic drugs appear to have an advantage over convent ional antipsychotic drugs in terms of their effect on cognitive function. T he development of more precisely tailored methods of remedial teaching, alo ng with optimal pharmacologic treatment, may lead to more effective treatme nt of cognitive dysfunction in patients with schizophrenia.