NCT00507988

Complex Problem Solving Training in Schizophrenic Patients

• Status: Completed
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 91 (actual)
• Sponsor: Heidelberg University · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 18 Years – 45 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Not accepted

Summary

The primary purpose of the study is to assess whether a planning and problem-solving training is more effective in improving work therapy performance in patients with schizophrenia than traditional training programs addressing basic cognitive functions.

Detailed description

In patients with schizophrenia, cognitive deficits often lead to an impairment in daily life. This observation has led to the development of cognitive training packages aiming a improving these deficits. However, it is far from clear which level of cognitive functioning provides the best target for cognitive interventions. Traditionally, training has aimed a basic cognitive functions like attention and memory. In the present study we aim at a higher-level of function, namely planning and problem-solving skills, which are trained using the software package Plan-A-Day. The primary hypothesis is that complex problem solving training improved functional capacity more than traditional training programs addressing basic cognitive function.

Conditions

• Schizophrenia
• Schizoaffective Disorder

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
BEHAVIORAL	Complex Problem Solving Training	10 sessions of 45 minutes complex problem solving training over 3 weeks (including 30 minutes of computerized planning and problem-solving training with Plan-A-Day and 15 minutes group session for transfer to everyday situations)
BEHAVIORAL	Basic Cognitive Training	10 sessions over 3 weeks of 45 min basic cognitive training (including 45 min computerized training of attention, processing speed, memory)

Timeline

• Start date: 2007-08-01
• Primary completion: 2009-02-01
• Completion: 2009-02-01
• First posted: 2007-07-27
• Last updated: 2009-05-15

Locations

1 site across 1 country: Germany