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The authors characterized hearing loss among individuals diagnosed as having schizophrenia to inform provision of routine behavioral health services to this population.Audiometry data collected between October 2019 and December 2021 from 84 community-dwelling adults with schizophrenia and 81 age-matched participants without the condition were analyzed. Rates of hearing loss were identified within groups and across age decades (20-50 years). Hearing threshold and rates of hearing loss were compared between groups.Participants with schizophrenia had significantly higher mean hearing thresholds (p=0.006), indicating worse hearing. This difference remained significant after controlling for age (p=0.01). A significantly larger proportion of participants with schizophrenia had mild hearing loss (24%) compared with age-matched participants (6%) (pScreening for and detection of hearing loss among adults with schizophrenia may be an unmet need. Hearing loss is a treatable source of cognitive and psychosocial disability, warranting scalable assessment and intervention practices.

Further validation of the MUSIC® Model of Motivation Inventory (MMI) for use in Cognitive Remediation (CR) for schizophrenia is needed. The MMI was compared to the Intrinsic Motivation Inventory - Schizophrenia Research and Perceived Competency Scale following early treatment exposure in a CR clinical trial. MMI Usefulness, Success, and Interest scales were significantly correlated with corresponding comparison scales. The MMI was not correlated with pre-morbid cognitive ability. Higher expectancy for success and perceived usefulness were significantly associated with greater intensity of session attendance. Results support the convergent, divergent, and predictive validity of the MMI for CR research and clinical use.

To date, no measures are available that permit differentiation of discrete, clinically distinct subtypes of schizophrenia (SZ) with potential differential underlying pathophysiologies. Over recent years, there has been increasing recognition that SZ is heterogeneously associated with deficits in early auditory processing (EAP), as demonstrated using clinically applicable tasks such as tone-matching task (TMT). Here, we pooled TMT performances across 310 SZ individuals and 219 healthy controls (HC), along with clinical, cognitive, and resting-state functional-connectivity MRI (rsFC-MRI) measures. In addition, TMT was measured in a group of 24 patients at symptomatic clinical high risk (CHR) for SZ and 24 age-matched HC (age range 7–27 years). We provide the first demonstration that the EAP deficits are bimodally distributed across SZ subjects (P d = 2.1) and SZ-EAP+ patients (d = 3.4). The SZ-EAP− group predominated among samples drawn from inpatient sites, showed higher levels of cognitive symptoms (PANSS), worse social cognition and a differential deficit in neurocognition (MATRICS battery), and reduced functional capacity. rsFC-MRI analyses showed significant reduction in SZ-EAP− relative to controls between subcortical and cortical auditory regions. As opposed to SZ, CHR patients showed intact EAP function. In HC age-matched to CHR, EAP ability was shown to increase across the age range of vulnerability preceding SZ onset. These results indicate that EAP measure segregates between discrete SZ subgroups. As TMT can be readily implemented within routine clinical settings, its use may be critical to account for the heterogeneity of clinical outcomes currently observed across SZ patients, as well as for pre-clinical detection and efficacious treatment selection.

BackgroundCollaborative data sharing between research groups provides an opportunity to explore the basis for the heterogeneity in cognitive training outcomes reported in the schizophrenia literature. The current analyses focused on the contribution of site and participant characteristics to these heterogeneous outcomes.MethodsData from two independent studies, from New York (NY) and Los Angeles (LA), were combined to yield a sample of 132 outpatient adults with schizophrenia/schizoaffective disorder. While similar treatment doses, cognitive exercises and outcome measures were used, sites differed in use of coaching, group discussion and compensation. Between-site differences in participant demographic and baseline clinical characteristics were tested. Regression examined predictors of change in cognition (MCCB) and functional capacity (UPSA) which could explain site differences in treatment effects.ResultsMedium to large treatment effect size differences in MCCB and UPSA favored the NY site over LA. When the studies were combined, the effect of site was significant for both outcomes with a medium effect size difference. After controlling for background characteristics, the effect of site was reduced for both outcomes, but remained significant for cognition. Improvement in UPSA was associated with better baseline MCCB (p&nbsp

Cognitive remediation (CR) is an evidence-based therapy used to improve cognition in people with schizophrenia. However, it often requires multiple in-person clinic sessions per week, which can limit scalability. This mixed methods study considered the feasibility and acceptability of a hybrid approach, which allowed for half the sessions to be conducted remotely as homework, without the clinician present. Individuals with schizophrenia were randomized to either all in-clinic or hybrid conditions and completed questionnaires and individual interviews about their experience. CR clinicians provided feedback in complement. Because of limited access to technology, most Hybrid CR participants had to come to clinic to access computers and often sought clinician support to do their homework. Participants in the two conditions were equally satisfied per the Client Satisfaction Questionnaire, and the majority reported perceived benefit and enjoyment. Both CR participants and clinicians identified access to technology as a barrier to program feasibility, while availability of clinician support positively impacted acceptability. Suggestions to improve CR highlighted adopting a flexible approach to providing CR that accounts for participant access to technology, potential benefit from peer interaction, and need for clinician support.

AIM: Methods to identify and harness individual cognitive strengths while addressing relative weaknesses have the potential to complement recovery services for first-episode psychosis but systematic implementation is needed. We developed a cognitive health toolkit, trained teams from OnTrackNY, a network of coordinated specialty care (CSC) programs and examined toolkit feasibility and clinical utility during the first year of roll-out. METHODS: The toolkit includes a clinician manual, assessment and decision-making tools, and a menu of cognitive health service options. Assessment uses the WRAT5-Reading subtest and a new Self-Assessment of Cognitive Functioning which, together, determine participant- and clinician-perceived cognitive health need. Program-level data were analysed for rates of assessment, identification of cognitive health needs and cognitive health service provision. RESULTS: Data from 18 OnTrackNY teams included 933 participants, including 310 new admissions. Across teams, 43.9% of newly admitted participants received a WRAT5-Reading and 41.3% received a self-assessment. Of all assessments completed in the study period, 50.7% were at or within 3-months of admission and 69.1% were within the first year of program participation. Cognitive health need was identified by self-report (57.6%) and clinician-report (69.9%) and led to provision of specific services, including psychoeducation, compensatory skills training and in some cases restorative cognitive training. CONCLUSIONS: Preliminary feasibility data are encouraging but barriers to assessment need to be identified and addressed. Rates of identified cognitive health need warrant further study of the implementation process and outcomes so that cognitive health assessment and treatment practices may ultimately be disseminated to CSC programs more broadly.

Introduction The COVID-19 crisis and subsequent stay-at-home orders have produced unprecedented challenges to the dissemination of recovery oriented behavioral health services (RS) that support the treatment of those with complex psychosis (CP).This population has typically been managed with in-person pharmacotherapy and/or RS, with the goals of relieving symptoms, improving life satisfaction and increasing community engagement. COVID-19 related social distancing measures have required rapid shifts in care management, while easing of telehealth regulations has allowed for flexibility to approach RS differently. It is essential to learn from the RS telemedicine implementation experience, so that RSs can maintain care for this vulnerable and needy population. Method This paper describes the successful telehealth conversion of a NYC-based, university affiliated RS that serves adults with severe mental illnesses (SMI; n = 64). Results focus on the telehealth acceptance rates of the subset of participants with CP (n = 23). Results The RS continued providing services including intake, care coordination, group psychotherapies, skills training groups, individual skills coaching, and vocational/educational supports. The telehealth conversion rates of the CP subsample indicated that 90% of CP patients accepted telehealth sessions and maintained their specific treatment plans in the virtual format. Mean comparisons between session attendance and cancellations/no-shows during the six-week period before and after telehealth conversion showed no significant differences in service utilization. Discussion RSs play an essential role in the treatment of CP and telehealth may prove to be a viable format of care delivery even after the COVID-19 crisis subsides. The multiple factors in the inner and outer treatment setting that contributed to successful conversion to telehealth will be considered along with the challenges that clinicians and patients encountered.

Cognitive dysfunction is common in psychotic disorders and significantly contributes to difficulty functioning in the home, and in therapeutic, social, educational, and occupational venues. Cognitive remediation is a behavioural treatment used to improve cognition, so people can function better in their life roles. In this chapter, we provide a brief overview of cognition in people with schizophrenia spectrum disorders, how cognition relates to their everyday functioning, and the approaches used in cognitive remediation to improve cognition. We focus on the literature supporting the impact of cognitive remediation on functional outcome, and examine the factors recognised to maximise therapeutic outcome. Finally, we consider some of the challenges and opportunities that arise when implementing cognitive remediation in mental health service settings.

BACKGROUND: There is concern that awareness of cognitive deficit among people with schizophrenia receiving Cognitive Remediation (CR) might undermine motivation, engagement, and CR outcomes. We therefore examined the relationship of subjective awareness of cognitive deficit to aspects of motivation and cognitive learning during an efficacious CR program. METHODS: Individuals with schizophrenia/schizoaffective disorder who completed 30 sessions of CR (N=67) were evaluated on cognitive performance, self-reported cognitive difficulties, intrinsic motivation and perceived competency for cognitive training tasks at the beginning and end of treatment. RESULTS: We found no relationship between actual and perceived cognitive functioning when measured cross-sectionally or as difference scores, pre/post treatment. Greater awareness of cognitive problems was associated with lower perceived competency for cognitive tasks at treatment beginning and end-point (p-values < 0.05). The significant relationship between awareness of cognitive problems and perceived value of the treatment at end-point was fully mediated by perceived competency. While greater perceived competency was associated with shorter time to treatment completion (p = 0.0025), it was intrinsic motivation measured at end-point that was associated with cognitive change (p = 0.02). DISCUSSION: While awareness of cognitive problems may not be a prerequisite for cognitive improvement during CR, it could impact engagement in, and how one values treatment via its effect on perceived competency. Results also highlighted the importance of intrinsic motivation for doing cognitive learning activities, given its relationship to cognitive gain. Further study is needed to understand how best to assess and address awareness of cognitive abilities within the CR setting.

Cognitive impairments are common in homeless youth, and negatively impact academic and vocational outcomes. We examined the feasibility and efficacy of cognitive interventions provided to 18–22 year-old homeless youth living in urban supportive housing. Ninety-one homeless youth were randomized to receive either targeted cognitive training (cognitive remediation) or general cognitive activation (computer skills training). Cognitive and psychological outcomes were assessed at baseline, after 13 and 26 sessions, and one month post-intervention. A high drop-out rate highlighted the feasibility challenges of treating this population. Intent-to-treat analysis found significant improvements across groups in specific and global measures of cognition and psychological distress, with no significant group differences. Transition-age homeless youth show improvements in cognitive and psychological functioning when engaged in interventions that address their cognitive development. This speaks to the malleability of cognitive skills in this cohort and lays the groundwork for future research to address their cognitive health.

Cognitive remediation is now widely recognized as an effective treatment for cognitive deficits in schizophrenia. Its effects are meaningful, durable, and related to improvements in everyday functional outcomes. As with many therapies, the evolution of cognitive remediation has resulted in treatment programs that use a variety of specific techniques, yet share common core principles. This paper is the product of a cognitive remediation expert working group consensus meeting to identify core features of the treatment and produce recommendations for its design, conduct, reporting, and implementation. Four techniques were identified as core features of cognitive remediation: facilitation by a therapist, cognitive exercise, procedures to develop problem-solving strategies, and procedures to facilitate transfer to real world functioning. Treatment techniques within each of these core features are presented to facilitate decisions for clinical trials and implementation in clinical settings.

Background Early auditory processing (EAP) has increasingly become a focus of efforts to identify biomarkers of treatment response in schizophrenia. EAP deficits lead to poor functional outcome via impaired cognition, and treatments that target EAP may drive downstream cognitive improvements. Assessment of baseline need provides an opportunity for cognitive remediation (CR) programs that give EAP training to personalize treatment and optimize its impact. This initial efficacy study examined the differential benefit of EAP training for those with and without baseline EAP deficits as defined by performance on the Tone Matching Test. Methods 103 outpatient adults diagnosed with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder were classified as having intact (48.5%) or impaired (51.5%) EAP and randomized to a CR program with restorative exercise plans that either included EAP training (N = 49) or did not (N = 54). Cognitive and functional outcomes were measured post-treatment and 3 months later. Results Only in EAP impaired participants was there a significant benefit from EAP training on verbal learning. Treatment condition did not significantly impact global cognitive or functional outcomes for either EAP group. Cognitive gains partially mediated the relationship between gains in EAP and functional capacity. Conclusion These findings support the importance of addressing basic auditory deficits when attempting to remediate higher order auditory impairments such as verbal learning. In addition, they highlight the need for routine assessment of EAP in cognitive remediation participants, as well as the need for more effective programs to reverse these impairments.

Cognitive remediation (CR) research typically addresses internal validity, and few studies consider CR in a real-world context. This study evaluated the fit between the program conditions and treatment model in research and clinical settings, with the goal of informing future research on the contextual challenges associated with the implementation of CR. Data was drawn from an initiative by New York State's Office of Mental Health (OMH), to implement CR programs for adults with Serious Mental Illness (SMI) in 16 state operated outpatient clinics. One of these clinics first became a research site for a CR randomized clinical trial, which allowed for a comparison of the feasibility and acceptability of CR in a research as compared to a clinical setting. RESULTS: The research site averaged almost triple the number of referrals as the clinical sites. Over nine months 46.51% of clinic referrals were enrolled in the CR program whereas 64.29% of research referrals were enrolled. Clinical site utilization averaged 70.53% while research site utilization averaged 90.47%. At the clinical sites, 97% of respondents reported CR was an excellent or good experience. There was high treatment fidelity for program structure and content across sites. CONCLUSIONS: This comparison of CR in clinical and research sites highlights the decrease in referrals, enrollment and utilization that occurs when a program moves from a highly controlled setting to the real world. Still, the acceptability, fill rates and utilization indicated that CR can be successfully implemented in large scale, geographically diverse, publically funded clinic settings.

IntroductionWith the increasing enthusiasm to provide cognitive remediation (CR) as an evidence-based practice, questions arise as to what is involved in implementing CR in a large system of care. This article describes the first statewide implementation of CR in the USA, with the goal of documenting the implementation issues that care providers are likely to face when bringing CR services to their patients.MethodsIn 2014, the New York State Office of Mental Health set up a Cognitive Health Service that could be implemented throughout the state-operated system of care. This service was intended to broadly address cognitive health, to assure that the cognitive deficits commonly associated with psychiatric illnesses are recognized and addressed, and that cognitive health is embedded in the vocabulary of wellness. It involved creating a mechanism to train staff to recognize how cognitive health could be prioritized in treatment planning as well as implementing CR in state-operated adult outpatient psychiatry clinics.ResultsBy 2017, CR was available at clinics serving people with serious mental illness in 13 of 16 adult Psychiatric Centers, located in rural and urban settings throughout New York state. The embedded quality assurance program evaluation tools indicated that CR was acceptable, sustainable, and effective.ConclusionsCognitive remediation can be feasibly implemented in large systems of care that provide a multilevel system of supports, a training program that educates broadly about cognitive health and specifically about the delivery of CR, and embedded, ongoing program evaluation that is linked to staff supervision.

Aim Low motivation is a core symptom of schizophrenia which significantly impacts successful engagement in and benefit from psychosocial treatments. Therefore, it is important for clinicians to design psychosocial treatments to effectively motivate and engage patients during the treatment. The MUSIC® Model of Academic Motivation Inventory (MMI) is an 18-item instrument with five scales that assess students' motivation during academic tasks. The objective of the current study was to validate the MMI for use with schizophrenia-spectrum patients undergoing cognitive training. Methods Participants included 181 people with schizophrenia spectrum disorders enrolled in cognitive training in four countries. A confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) assessed construct validity. Quality of fit was determined using the Comparative Fit Index (CFI), the Standardized Root Mean Square Residual (SRMR), and the Root Mean Square Error of Approximation (RMSEA). Pearson's correlation coefficients assessed construct validity and Cronbach's alphas assessed reliability. Furthermore, we examined factor loadings for each inventory item and assessed predictive validity by analyzing MMI scales with attendance outcomes. Results Consistent with the original MMI validation studies used in academic settings, we found CFI values indicated a good fit, as did the SRMR and RMSEA values. The scales were correlated yet distinct. Cronbach's alpha values ranged from good to excellent and factor loadings showed that all items loaded very well onto their intended factors. The MMI had a positive relationship to treatment intensity. Conclusion The MMI is a valid and reliable tool to use with individuals with schizophrenia spectrum disorders undergoing a cognitive training intervention.

Depressed mood is prevalent among individuals with schizophrenia, leading to difficulties in functioning. Typically, depressed mood is evaluated using retrospective assessments during which individuals are asked to recall their mood during the past week or month. However, as individuals with schizophrenia may display memory difficulties, the results of such assessments may be biased, potentially leading to inaccurate clinical characterizations and/or suboptimal treatment. Our aim was to assess the potential impact of long-term memory on depressed mood in individuals with schizophrenia. Employing an Experience Sampling Method (ESM) approach, 51 individuals with schizophrenia and 22 healthy controls rated their momentary emotions up to 10 times/day over a two-day period, along with retrospective measures of depressed mood, long-term memory, quality of life, social functioning, and symptoms. ESM assessment of real-time depressed mood demonstrated discriminant and convergent validity. Among the schizophrenia group, there was a significant correlation between the real-time and retrospective measures of depressed mood. However, once variance due to long-term memory was controlled, the relationship between the real-time and retrospective measure was no longer significant. The findings suggest that a real-time measure of depressed mood may allow overcoming some of the limitations associated with long-term memory difficulties common among individuals with schizophrenia.

Impairment in cognition is a prevalent and functionally significant symptom in people with serious and persistent mental illness who reside in rehabilitative residential settings. Difficulties in information processing may limit the extent to which an individual with serious and persistent mental illness will be able to meet their personal recovery goals, thus indicating a need for specialized intervention. Cognitive remediation (CR) is a behavioral treatment that directly targets the cognitive skills that have been empirically linked to functional skills and community outcomes. Residential programs offer a therapeutic milieu that is amenable to integrating CR using the treatment parameters that have been identified in empirical studies as contributing to CR efficacy. This article describes potential barriers to CR implementation and how those barriers can be overcome—optimally supporting residents’ ability to learn the skills critical for meeting functional goals and for supporting personal recovery. [ Psychiatr Ann . 2015;45(3):126–130.]

Background: The purpose of this study was to more clearly define the therapeutic targets important to the facilitation of cognitive and functional improvement in schizophrenia, so clinicians know how to customize neurocognitive interventions and deliver cognitive remediation in a more effective and efficient manner.

BACKGROUND: Schizophrenia is associated with cognitive deficits that negatively impact essential areas of daily functioning. Evidence of learning-dependent plasticity in the distributed neural systems that underlie perception and cognition has opened up a burgeoning field of research in cognitive remediation (CR). While the aggregate literature on CR for schizophrenia indicates moderate effect for cognitive and functional outcomes, questions about personalized delivery and essential training elements remain. These shortcomings have constrained the translation of CR research into practical application. Baseline early auditory processing (EAP) holds promise as a way to personalize treatment for the cognitive deficits in schizophrenia. EAP deficits are present in about half of diagnosed patients and are associated with poor functional outcome via impaired cognition. Results of CR studies that target EAP have been mixed, possibly because a systematic method of identifying who needs EAP training was not utilized. Further, not all CR programs- even those that provide restorative, hierarchically organized cognitive training exercises- provide EAP training. Some begin training at the level of attention or even proceed directly to training problem solving and other higher order cognitive abilities. Baseline assessment of EAP could optimize CR outcomes by personalizing treatment of EAP to need. This study examined the differential benefit of EAP training for those with and without baseline EAP deficits as defined by performance on the Tone Matching Test. METHODS: 103 outpatients aged 18–65, diagnosed with schizophrenia spectrum disorder, were first classified as having intact (48.5%) or impaired (51.5%) EAP and then randomized to a CR program with restorative exercise plans that either included EAP training (N=49) or did not (N=54). Cognitive and functional outcomes were measured with the MCCB and UPSA B post 30 sessions treatment and 3 months later. RESULTS: Only the EAP impaired (EAP-) group had significant benefit from EAP training on verbal learning, with moderate treatment effect sizes (0.46) for overall cognition. Treatment condition did not significantly impact functional outcomes for either EAP group. Whereas both EAP- and EAP+ subgroups showed similar Number Needed to Treat (NNT) for functional outcome (1.3 and 1.5 respectively) the NNT for cognitive gain was less than half for the EAP- (2.4) compared to the EAP+ (6.0). Post CR, change in EAP had a significant effect on change in functional outcome (β = 0.878, p

Cognitive deficits are a well-recognised issue for individuals diagnosed with schizophrenia spectrum disorders. Despite positive group findings for the use of cognitive remediation (CR) interventions, there are substantial individual differences in response to treatment. In addition, the aggregate CR literature reports low moderate effect sizes for cognitive and functional outcomes. Based on personalised medicine theory, this paper uses extant CR literature to examine the individual characteristics determined to predict treatment response. These characteristics, which fall into the broad categories of cognitive, psychological, and biological can be used as tailoring variables to personalise CR to an individual's unique profile. Personalisation through the use of these tailoring variables has the potential to improve the delivery of CR to maximise treatment outcomes.

Motivation impairment is an often prominent component of schizophrenia symptomatology that impacts treatment engagement and reduces the functional benefit from psychosocial interventions. Intrinsic motivation in particular has been shown to be impaired in schizophrenia. Nowhere is the role of intrinsic motivation impairment more evident than in cognitive remediation for schizophrenia. This chapter describes the theoretical determinants of motivation to learn and illustrates how those determinants have been translated into therapeutic techniques that enhance intrinsic motivation in a clinical context. We review the extant research that indicates how motivation enhancing techniques yield treatment-related improvements within cognitive remediation therapy and, more broadly, in other behavioral skills-based interventions for schizophrenia.