Retraining the Brain in Addiction and Mental Health Treatment

atients entering treatment for mental

P illness and substance use disorders
especially when combined with psychiatric
rehabilitation.
often experience deficits in at least one
ncorporating cognitive remediation
domain of cognitive functioning (e.g.,
attention, memory, verbal fluency, cognitive
flexibility). Significant gray matter loss, for
I into treatment as an adjunct to other
evidence-based therapies, including
example, is often seen in patients with a cognitive behavioral therapy, medication
history of heavy alcohol and drug use and assisted treatment and psychotherapy, can
associated with cognitive deficits, including lead to significantly greater outcomes and
reduced mental flexibility, impulsivity and improvements in psychosocial functioning,
difficulty maintaining attention (Everitt, cognitive performance and symptoms
Dickinson & Robbins, 2001). (McGurk et al., 2007; Wilkes et al., 2011).

long with other evidence-based

A lthough
widespread
cognitive
in
deficits
individuals with
are
A therapeutic approaches, CRT is an
innovative therapeutic technique utilized by
depressive disorders, bipolar disorder and
substance use disorders, perhaps the most Sovereign Health’s team of professionals to
pervasive and profound impairments affect enhance cognitive skills and help patients
individuals suffering from schizophrenia accomplish a healthier way of thinking. We
and first-episode psychosis (Sharma &
Tonmoy Sharma, MBBS, M.Sc. utilize computerized assessment of cognitive
Antonova, 2003). Despite the prevalence CEO of Sovereign Health function to create individualized treatment
of cognitive deficits in a range of clinical plans that target specific cognitive deficits.
populations, the majority of facilities tend to behavioral intervention that engages patients overeign Health’s battery of computerized
overlook cognitive function in mental health
and addiction treatment.
with severe and chronic mental illnesses in
learning activities (i.e., paper-and-pencil
S cognitive training exercises is designed
to train specific cognitive domains (e.g.,
or computerized training) to help improve attention, cognitive flexibility, reasoning,
gnoring cognitive function in behavioral
I health treatment is just like going to
the doctor and receiving treatment for a
their cognitive function. As cognitive deficits
are a major source of disability for those in
planning, decision-making, social cognition)
and help patients achieve their recovery
recovery for mental illness and substance use goals and the best outcomes possible while
broken arm without first taking an x-ray to disorders, restoring and boosting cognitive
determine whether or not the bone is broken. they are in treatment.
function can be helpful for enhancing
We wouldn’t treat a person for a broken arm patients’ functional abilities and self-reliance.
without taking an x-ray, just as we wouldn’t
vidence has increasingly supported References
prescribe a medication for high blood
pressure without taking the person’s blood
pressure first. Why is it that most treatment
E the benefits of assessing and treating
cognitive deficits due to a wide range of
Everitt, B.J., Dickinson, A., & Robbins, T.W. (2001). The
neuropsychological basis o f addictive behaviour. Brain Research
Reviews, 36, 129-138.
facilities do not bother to measure cognitive mental disorders. For example, studies have
McGurk, S.R., Twamley, E.W., Sitzer, D.I., McHugo, G.J., &
function? shown that CRT can reduce substance abuse Meuser, K.T. (2007). A meta-analysis o f cognitive remediation
and problem-solving deficits in individuals in schizophrenia. American Journal o f Psychiatry, 164(12),
ust as physical therapy is needed to help 1791-1802.

J patients regain full function of their leg

or hand after a serious injury, cognitive
with co-occurring mental and substance
use disorders. In a recent meta-analysis,
Wilkes and colleagues (2011) found that
Sharma, T., & Antonova, L. (2003). Cognitive function in
schizophrenia. Deficits, functional consequences, and future
treatment. Psychiatric Clinics o f North America, 26(1), 25-40.
remediation therapy (CRT) — also referred cognitive remediation had long-lasting Wykes, T., Huddy, V., Cellard, C., McGurk, S.R., Czobor,
to as cognitive retraining or cognitive benefits on global cognition and functioning P. (2011). A meta-analysis o f cognitive remediation for
schizophrenia: methodology and effect sizes. American Journal
enhancement therapy (CET) — is a of individuals with schizophrenia, o f Psychiatry, 168(5): 472-85.
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