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A targeted remediation approach: The training of affect recognition (TAR)

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  16 April 2020

G. Sachs
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
B. Winklbaur
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
R. Jagsch
Affiliation:
Institute of Clinical, Biological and Differential Psychology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
N. Frommann
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
I. Kryspin-Exner
Affiliation:
Institute of Clinical, Biological and Differential Psychology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
W. Wölwer
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany

Abstract

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Introduction

An increasing number of studies is focusing on general deficits in patients with schizophrenia in identifying, differentiating and recalling facial emotions which significantly impairs the patient's psychosocial functioning and quality of life.

Objectives

These impairments seem not to be affected by conventional treatment. According to preliminary results antipsychotics alone show only little effects on social cognition.

Aims

The present study investigated the efficacy of a computer based training focussing on facial affect recognition (Training of Affect recognition TAR, Wölwer et al. 2005) for the remediation of social cognitive dysfunctions.

Methods

Effects on social cognition were tested with the Vienna Emotion Recognition Task (VERT-K, Pawelak 2004). Neurocognitive performance was assessed by the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST Heaton et al. 1993). Additional assessments were tests of alertness, vigilance and working memory (TAP Zimmermann and Fimm 2002), positive and negative symptoms (PANSS Kay et al. 1987), Beck Depression Scale (BDI Beck 1964) and Quality of Life (WHOQOL-Bref WHOQOL Group 1998).

Results

In comparison to the TAU group, the TAR group achieved significant improvements in affect recognition in general as well as in recognizing sad faces (p < 0.01) (Fig.2). In addition, we found significant improvements for the TAR group in regard to vigilance and Quality of Life (p < 0.05).

Conclusions

Treatment with new antipsychotics alone leads only to limited effects on social cognition and functioning. A specific combined treatment of new antipsychotics and TAR leads to improved cognition and emotional performance with additional positive effects on functional outcome.

Type
S41-02
Copyright
Copyright © European Psychiatric Association 2011
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