Preliminary evidence of improved verbal working memory performance and normalization of task-related frontal lobe activation in schizophrenia following cognitive exercises.
OBJECTIVE
The authors' goal was to evaluate the possibility of treating brain and behavioral aspects of verbal memory dysfunction in patients with schizophrenia through cognitive exercises.


METHODS
Eight patients did daily verbal memory exercises that became progressively more difficult over a 10-week training period. Memory performance and regional brain activations during a verbal memory task were assessed before and after these exercises.


RESULTS
Verbal but not nonverbal memory performance improved after training; three patients made substantial gains, and five showed little change. Performance gains were correlated with increases in task-related activation of the left inferior frontal cortex. One patient given 5 extra weeks of training 6 weeks after the initial training period showed maintenance of initial performance gains 6 weeks after training, further improvement after the second period of training, and normalization of task-related activation of the left inferior frontal cortex.


CONCLUSIONS
Verbal memory deficits can be ameliorated by memory exercises in some patients with schizophrenia. Performance improvements are associated with increased task-related activation of the same brain region that is activated during verbal memory tasks in healthy individuals.
Wexler
B E
BE
Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA. bruce.wexler@yale.edu
Anderson
M
M
Fulbright
R K
RK
Gore
J C
JC
D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D005625:Frontal Lobe / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008297:Male; D008569:Memory Disorders / Q000628:therapy*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011214:Practice, Psychological; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000534:rehabilitation / Q000628:therapy*; D012565:Schizophrenic Psychology; D014705:Verbal Behavior / Q000502:physiology*