title: Effectiveness of a specific cueing method for improving autobiographical memory recall in patients with schizophrenia.
abstract: Autobiographical memory deficits in schizophrenia have a significant impact on patients' daily life. Our study was aimed at testing the effectiveness of a specific cueing (SC) method for improving autobiographical memory recall in patients with schizophrenia, particularly the phenomenological details of their memories. Twenty-five patients with schizophrenia and 25 comparison participants took part in the study. They recalled 6 specific autobiographical events which occurred during 3 different life periods. After each memory recall, participants were given a general cue which allowed them to add further information to their narration. The SC was then applied by means of a series of specific questions to elicit more precise memory detail. The overall memory specificity as well as the number and richness of 5 categories of memory detail (perceptual/sensory, temporal, contextual, emotional, and cognitive) were assessed before and after the SC phase. Before SC, patients' memories were less specific and less detailed. SC had a beneficial effect on patients' memory recall. The overall memory specificity of patients improved. The gain in the number and richness of memory details was comparable between patients and comparison participants. The difference between groups in terms of the number of memory details was not significant. Richness of details was still lower in patients, except for emotional and cognitive details, which were similarly rich in both groups. The cueing method reduces the autobiographical memory impairment of patients with schizophrenia and paves the way for developing specific cognitive remediation therapies to help patients in their daily life.
authors.affiliation: Unité INSERM 1114, Neuropsychologie Cognitive et Physiopathologie de la Schizophrénie, Fédération de Médecine Translationnelle de Strasbourg, Hôpitaux Universitaires de Strasbourg, Département de Psychiatrie, 1 place de l'Hôpital, BP 426, 67091 Strasbourg Cedex, France; Université de Strasbourg, Faculté de Médecine, 4 rue Kirchleger, 67000 Strasbourg, France.
authors.forename: Jevita
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Potheegadoo
authors.affiliation: Unité INSERM 1114, Neuropsychologie Cognitive et Physiopathologie de la Schizophrénie, Fédération de Médecine Translationnelle de Strasbourg, Hôpitaux Universitaires de Strasbourg, Département de Psychiatrie, 1 place de l'Hôpital, BP 426, 67091 Strasbourg Cedex, France; Université de Strasbourg, Faculté de Médecine, 4 rue Kirchleger, 67000 Strasbourg, France.
authors.forename: Adrian
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cordier
authors.affiliation: Unité INSERM 1114, Neuropsychologie Cognitive et Physiopathologie de la Schizophrénie, Fédération de Médecine Translationnelle de Strasbourg, Hôpitaux Universitaires de Strasbourg, Département de Psychiatrie, 1 place de l'Hôpital, BP 426, 67091 Strasbourg Cedex, France; Université de Strasbourg, Faculté de Médecine, 4 rue Kirchleger, 67000 Strasbourg, France.
authors.forename: Fabrice
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Berna
authors.affiliation: Unité INSERM 1114, Neuropsychologie Cognitive et Physiopathologie de la Schizophrénie, Fédération de Médecine Translationnelle de Strasbourg, Hôpitaux Universitaires de Strasbourg, Département de Psychiatrie, 1 place de l'Hôpital, BP 426, 67091 Strasbourg Cedex, France; Université de Strasbourg, Faculté de Médecine, 4 rue Kirchleger, 67000 Strasbourg, France. Electronic address: jean-marie.danion@chru-strasbourg.fr.
authors.forename: Jean-Marie
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Danion
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D014150:Antipsychotic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003463:Cues; D056344:Executive Function; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D019018:Imagery, Psychotherapy / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008569:Memory Disorders / Q000209:etiology* / Q000523:psychology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D061212:Memory, Episodic; D011939:Mental Recall; D008875:Middle Aged; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D010775:Photic Stimulation; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000150:complications* / Q000188:drug therapy; D012565:Schizophrenic Psychology
chemical_list: D014150:Antipsychotic Agents
keywords: Autobiographical memory; Cognitive remediation therapy; Detail richness; Phenomenological details; Schizophrenia; Specific cueing method