Cognitive remediation therapy
Cognitive remediation therapy (CRT), also called cognitive enhancement therapy (CET), is designed to improve neurocognitive abilities such as attention, working memory, cognitive flexibility and planning, and executive functioning which leads to improved social functioning.
Empirical support
Empirical support for cognitive remediation in traumatic brain injury and schizophrenia is documented by a wealth of published randomized controlled trials.[1][2][3] Effects on cognitive skill performance in schizophrenia are durable for months after the therapies are withdrawn, particularly in terms of executive functioning, working memory, and verbal memory. Importantly, neurocognitive gains have been linked to improvements in obtaining and working in competitive jobs.[2][3]
In practice
Narrowly defined, CRT is a set of cognitive drills or compensatory interventions designed to enhance cognitive functioning. However, from the vantage point of the rehabilitation field, CRT engages the participant in a learning activity to enhance the neurocognitive skills relevant to overall recovery goals.[4] CR programs vary in the extent to which they reflect these narrow or broader perspectives, and there is ongoing research to identify the active ingredients that result in a positive response to treatment. Data suggests that when cognitive remediation is provided to people with schizophrenia, it is most effective when given in the broader context of psychosocial rehabilitation.[2][3] Recent attention has turned to incorporating motivational enhancements into the treatment of cognitive dysfunction for psychological disorders.[4]
For anorexia nervosa
For individuals with anorexia nervosa (AN), CRT is an interactive treatment which combines practical exercises with discussions about their relevance to the patient’s everyday life. It addresses the process rather than the content of thinking, thus helping patients to develop a metacognitive awareness of their own thinking style.[5][6][7][8][9][10] The treatment is hypothesized to work by strengthening and refining neural circuits, and by learning and transferring new cognitive strategies to appropriate situations. The aim is to identify and target the cognitive impairments specific to each patient, and to motivate the patient to engage in meta-cognitive processes i.e. to consider their cognitive/thinking styles and to explore alternative strategies, which in turn might lead to behavioral changes. By becoming aware of problematic cognitive styles, the patient can reflect on how these affect everyday life and learn to develop new strategies. The intervention was originally developed for adults with chronic AN but it has been explored for younger patients as well.[11]
See also
References
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- ↑ Davies, H., & Tchanturia, K. (2005). Cognitive remediation therapy as an intervention for acute anorexia nervosa: A case report. European Eating Disorders Review, 13(5), 311-316.
- ↑ Tchanturia, K., Davies, H., & Campbell, I. C. (2007). Cognitive remediation therapy for patients with anorexia nervosa: preliminary findings. Annals of General Psychiatry, 6(1), 14.
- ↑ Tchanturia, K. (2014). Cognitive Remediation Therapy (CRT) for Eating and Weight Disorders. Routledge.
- ↑ Tchanturia, K., Davies, H., Reeder, C., & Wykes, T. (2008). Cognitive remediation programme for anorexia nervosa: a manual for practitioners. London: NHS Foundation Trust.
- ↑ Lindvall, C., & Lask, B. Implications for Treatment. In B. Lask & I. Frampton (Eds.), Eating Disorders and the Brain (pp. 191-206). Oxford, UK: T Wiley/Blackwell, 2011. ISBN 9781119998433
- ↑ Owen, I., Lindvall Dahlgren, C., & Lask, B. Cognitive Remediation Therapy. In B. Lask & R. Bryant-Waugh (Eds.), Eating Disorders in Childhood and Adolescence. New York: Routledge, 2013. ISBN 9780415686402
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
