Evidence mapPaperPMID 39485015Full record

SynthesisSchizophrenia bulletin2025

The Effects of Cognitive Remediation on Negative Symptoms in Schizophrenia-Spectrum Illness: A Meta-analytic Investigation of Efficacy.

Grace Melville, Clara Preisig, Michael Zheng, Matthew M Kurtz

Abstract readMeta-Analysis
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Schizophrenia bulletin, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

4 authors.

Grace MelvilleDepartment of Psychology and Program in Neuroscience and Behavior, Wesleyan University, Middletown, CT 06459, United States.
Clara PreisigDepartment of Psychology and Program in Neuroscience and Behavior, Wesleyan University, Middletown, CT 06459, United States.
Michael ZhengDepartment of Psychology and Program in Neuroscience and Behavior, Wesleyan University, Middletown, CT 06459, United States.
Matthew M KurtzDepartment of Psychology and Program in Neuroscience and Behavior, Wesleyan University, Middletown, CT 06459, United States.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

background and hypothesisThe number of clinical efficacy trials of Cognitive Remediation (CR), a behavioral intervention consisting of cognitive task practice and/or strategy training to improve cognitive skills in schizophrenia, has increased substantially over the past 25 years. While recent reviews have highlighted the effects of CR on cognition and function, CR effects on negative symptoms remain understudied. Given the overlap between negative symptoms and cognition, CR effects might be expected. STUDY

designElectronic databases were evaluated up to September 2023 using a broad range of search terms. Sixty-nine unique, controlled trials that used negative symptoms as an outcome were meta-analyzed. Data were independently extracted with excellent (>98%) reliability. Random effects models assessed the effects of CR on summary and expressive vs. experiential negative symptoms. Moderator analyses evaluated a broad array of treatment and participant factors. STUDY

resultsThe meta-analysis (5319 participants) revealed that CR produced a small effect size improvement on summary negative symptoms (Hedge's g = 0.179). Sample differences in age, duration of illness, symptoms, and antipsychotic dosage did not serve as a barrier to treatment benefit. CR also produced small-to-moderate improvements in alogia (Hedge's g = 0.312) but not experiential negative symptoms. Programs of CR that utilized bridging activities that relate training of cognitive skills to activities of daily living produced greater improvement in negative symptoms (g = 0.281 vs 0.055). Longer CR programs also produce larger effects on negative symptoms.

conclusionsCR produces small, consistent reductions in negative symptoms in people with schizophrenia. Variations in CR effects may be linked to different treatment ingredients.

Indexed as

Cognitive DysfunctionCognitive RemediationOutcome Assessment, Health CareSchizophreniaHumanscognitionpsychosocial treatmentsymptoms

Identifiers

PMID39485015
PMCPMC12597500

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.