title: Self-imagination can enhance memory in individuals with schizophrenia.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Previous research has demonstrated that self-referential strategies can be applied to improve memory in various memory- impaired populations. However, little is known regarding the relative effectiveness of self-referential strategies in schizophrenia patients. The main aim of this study was to assess the effectiveness of a new self-referential strategy known as self- imagination (SI) on a free recall task.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty schizophrenia patients and 20 healthy controls intentionally encoded words under five instructions: superficial processing, semantic processing, semantic self-referential processing, episodic self-referential processing and semantic self- imagining. Other measures included depression, psychotic symptoms and cognitive measures.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We found a SI effect in memory as self- imagining resulted in better performance in memory retrieval than semantic and superficial encoding in schizophrenia patients. The memory boost for self-referenced information in comparison to semantic processing was not found for other self-referential strategies. In addition no relationship between clinical variables and free recall performances was found. In controls, the SI condition did not result in better performance. The three self-referential strategies yielded better free recall than both superficial and semantic encoding.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study provides evidence of the clinical utility of self-imagining as a mnemonic strategy in schizophrenia patients.
authors.affiliation: a Epsylon Laboratory Dynamic of Human Abilities & Health Behaviors , University of Montpellier 3 , Montpellier , France.|b University Department of Adult Psychiatry , Hôpital de la Colombière, CHRU Montpellier, Montpellier-1 University , Montpellier , France.
authors.forename: Stéphane
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Raffard
authors.affiliation: a Epsylon Laboratory Dynamic of Human Abilities & Health Behaviors , University of Montpellier 3 , Montpellier , France.|b University Department of Adult Psychiatry , Hôpital de la Colombière, CHRU Montpellier, Montpellier-1 University , Montpellier , France.
authors.forename: Catherine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bortolon
authors.affiliation: a Epsylon Laboratory Dynamic of Human Abilities & Health Behaviors , University of Montpellier 3 , Montpellier , France.
authors.forename: Mariana
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Burca
authors.affiliation: a Epsylon Laboratory Dynamic of Human Abilities & Health Behaviors , University of Montpellier 3 , Montpellier , France.
authors.forename: Caroline
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Novara
authors.affiliation: a Epsylon Laboratory Dynamic of Human Abilities & Health Behaviors , University of Montpellier 3 , Montpellier , France.
authors.forename: Marie-Christine
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Gely-Nargeot
authors.affiliation: b University Department of Adult Psychiatry , Hôpital de la Colombière, CHRU Montpellier, Montpellier-1 University , Montpellier , France.|c INSERM U-1061 , Montpellier , France.
authors.forename: Delphine
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Capdevielle
authors.affiliation: d Department of Psychology - Cognition and Behavior , University of Liège , Liège , Belgium.|e Cognitive Psychopathology and Neuropsychology Unit, Faculty of Psychology , University of Geneva , Geneva , Switzerland.
authors.forename: Martial
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Van der Linden
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003863:Depression / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007092:Imagination; D008297:Male; D008568:Memory; D008569:Memory Disorders; D011939:Mental Recall; D008875:Middle Aged; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D012559:Schizophrenia; D012565:Schizophrenic Psychology; D012660:Semantics; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Self-imagining; free recall; schizophrenia; self-reference effect