The Web-Based Processing Speed Training and Remediation in Psychosis

Abstract

Computerised cognitive remediation (CR) has become progressively essential to ameliorate the cognitive deficits in schizophrenia. The study aims to determine whether targeted processing speed training generalised to enhancements on global cognition, comparable, and untrained tasks for real world applications. 30 participants of young adults with first episode psychosis aged between 18 and 40 years, engaged in 15 sessions of treatment arm or general CR in a single-blinded randomised controlled trial. The Remediation of Mind (ReMind)intervention is focusing on processing speed exercises using commercial training from Lumosity, Fit Brains and other recognised exercises based on the previous software task analysis findings while the active control group received standard exercises of CR. The main outcome was cognition and the secondary outcomes were functional and clinical measures which were measured using Brief Assessment of Cognition Schizophrenia (BACS), the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS), and Social Functioning Scale (SFS) at baseline (T1) and post-test at week 8 (T2). Results revealed that participants who were assigned to web-based processing speed training showed a significant improvement in cognitive functioning and psychosocial including social functioning negative symptoms reduction which beneficial for recovery in processing speed and untrained skills. Targeted processing speed exercises in ReMind was feasible and promising to be implemented in Malaysia as a tool for CR in young adults to enhance cognitive performance and functionality in real-world. The selected computerised exercises with proper strategies were possibly the active ingredients that accounted for effective intervention in accelerating the functioning and generalisation in cognitive health efficiently.