Cognitive rehabilitation holds promise for schizophrenic brain function improvements

Study had shown that it is possible to improve the brain functions of schizophrenic patients through cognitive rehabilitation programs.

Researchers from Washington University in St. Louis have suggested that memorization strategies used by normal people to remember things may be useful for schizophrenia patients as much in remembering information. This process may also start the return of normalcy in remembering and retaining information in the brain by these people suffering from the disease.

Schizophrenia is a chronic severe disabling mental illness. Some of the symptoms suffered by schizophrenics are hallucinations seen or heard, feelings of being persecuted, becoming withdrawn, aggression and deranged behavior. Schizophrenia can be treated symptomatically, but only one in five patients have a chance of full recovery. However, other than the severe problems associated with the disease, the disease is also associated with learning, memory, attention related problems that hamper the daily life of the patients.

The study suggests that the use of helpful memory strategies through cognitive rehabilitation programs that improve the cognitive abilities of the patients can go a long way in improving the functions of the brain of these patients.

Reference: Biological Psychiatry, July 2005