Cognitive training of verbal memory using a dichotic listening paradigm: impact on symptoms and cognition.
OBJECTIVE
The objective was to investigate the impact of a verbal memory training task on psychiatric symptoms and cognition in schizophrenia.


METHODS
As part of a larger, 6-month cognitive remediation program, 57 patients with schizophrenia were randomly assigned to receive performance-based, hierarchical training on a verbal memory task based on a dichotic listening (DL) with distracter paradigm. These patients were compared with 68 patients who had been randomly assigned to a control condition.


RESULTS
Training on the DL task was not associated with changes in general psychopathology or auditory hallucinations (AH) specifically. Training was associated with improvements in verbal memory, but not attention.


CONCLUSIONS
The current investigation adds to the growing literature on the effectiveness of cognitive remediation training and indicates that training on the DL task enhances verbal episodic memory. The results do not support the use of DL training as a method for reducing AH.
Fiszdon
J M
JM
Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA. joanna.fiszdon@yale.edu
Whelahan
H
H
Bryson
G J
GJ
Wexler
B E
BE
Bell
M D
MD
D000328:Adult; D003071:Cognition; D004007:Dichotic Listening Tests; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008568:Memory; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D013663:Teaching / Q000379:methods*; D014705:Verbal Behavior