Q3: In individuals with a first psychotic episode with full remission, how long should antipsychotic drug treatment be continued after remission in order to allow for the best outcomes?
The Integrated Management of Adolescent/Adult Illness (IMAI) approach
DHS Working Papers No. 110 | Zimbabwe Working Papers No. 11
Assessing the impact of the EVD outbreak on health systems in Sierra Leone. Survey concluded 6-17 October 2014
WHO GUIDELINES REVIEW COMMITTEE
Miscellaneous
Chapter J.2
Cognitive deficits in schizophrenia can massively impact functionality and quality of life, furthering the importance of cognitive training. Despite the development of the field in Europe and in the United States, no programmes have been developed and tested in developing countries. Different cultur...al backgrounds, budget restrictions, and other difficulties may render treatment packages created in high income countries difficult for adoption by developing nations. We performed a pilot double-blind, randomized, controlled trial in order to investigate the efficacy and feasibility of an attention and memory training programme specially created in
a developing nation. The intervention used simple, widely available materials, required minimal infrastructure, and was conducted in groups.The sample included seventeen stable Brazilians with schizophrenia. Sessions were conducted weekly during five months. The cognitive training group showed significant improvements in inhibitory control and set-shifting over time. Both groups showed improvements in symptoms, processing speed, selective attention, executive function, and long-term visual memory. Improvements were found in the control group in long-term verbal memory and concentration. Our findings reinforce the idea that cognitive training in schizophrenia can be constructed using simple resources and infrastructure, facilitating its adoption by developing countries, and it may improve cognition.
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