What Is Cognitive Remediation Therapy for Schizophrenia?

Here’s what you should know before starting cognitive remediation therapy for schizophrenia.

What Is a Cognitive Remediation Therapy Session Like?

Cognitive remediation therapy includes a mixture of computerized games to work on skills like paying attention, retaining memories, and problem-solving, says Medalia. This is followed by group discussion to apply what participants learn in real-world settings.

When Medalia leads cognitive remediation therapy sessions, for example, small groups of four to six participants spend about an hour playing brain-training games on computers. The games can include tasks like dodging obstacles on a busy highway, fitting items into a suitcase, and matching and ordering shapes according to memory.

After that, groups spend another hour discussing strategies that can help make their daily lives easier, says Medalia. This can include using mnemonics to remember grocery lists, moving things around in the home to make it easier to find household items like keys or smartphones, or carrying a notebook and pen around at all times to make note of important things they need to remember.

“We call this a bridging group — it’s a discussion where we’re literally bridging what we’re working on on the computer to everyday life and [creating] strategies to have better memory and response times in everyday life,” she says.

But some CRT programs are completed individually and at home via software programs, Keepers notes.

Medalia points to the brain-training app Lumosity as an example of the types of exercises or drills participants work on repeatedly to bolster their cognitive functioning. Although apps like Lumosity are still being studied and are not a replacement for cognitive remediation therapy with a trained professional, they highlight the need for steady practice of cognitive skills.

How to Find a Cognitive Remediation Therapy Provider

It’s important to note that cognitive remediation therapy is a newer, more niche form of treatment, and as a result, it’s not yet available everywhere.

First, try to see if a mental health professional trained in this therapy is available in your region. It can help to ask your doctor, a local mental health center, or an organization like the National Alliance on Mental Illness for recommendations. Once you locate a professional trained in cognitive remediation therapy, you’ll work together to identify your goals and tailor your weekly training sessions to sharpen your cognitive skills.