AUTHOR=Wang Xu , Kou Xiaomin , Meng Xiandong , Yu Jianying 

TITLE=Effects of a virtual reality serious game training program on the cognitive function of people diagnosed with schizophrenia: A randomized controlled trial

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Psychiatry

VOLUME=13

YEAR=2022

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychiatry/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2022.952828

DOI=10.3389/fpsyt.2022.952828

ISSN=1664-0640

ABSTRACT=<sec><title>Background</title><p>Cognitive impairment persists through the course of schizophrenia and affects patients’ activities of daily living.</p></sec><sec><title>Aim</title><p>This study aims to investigate the effects of a virtual reality (VR) serious game training program on the cognitive function of people diagnosed with schizophrenia.</p></sec><sec><title>Materials and Methods</title><p>Sixty-four eligible people diagnosed with schizophrenia were recruited and randomly assigned to the intervention group (<italic>n</italic> = 31) and the control group (<italic>n</italic> = 33). The control group received standard psychiatric care. The intervention group was trained with an additional VR game twice a day for at least 10 days during hospitalization. Cognitive function was measured at enrollment and before discharge using the Brief Cognitive Assessment Tool for Schizophrenia.</p></sec><sec><title>Results</title><p>Compared with those of the control group, the results of the working memory (<italic>t</italic> = 3.463, Cohen’s d = 0.87, <italic>p</italic> = 0.001) and executive function (TMTA: Z = -2.272, Cohen’s d = 0.59, <italic>p</italic> = 0.023; TMTB:Z = -2.365, Cohen’s d = 0.62, <italic>p</italic> = 0.018) of the intervention group after intervention were significantly better. However, there was no significant difference in the results of social cognition (<italic>Z</italic> = -1.394, Cohen’s d = 0.35, <italic>p</italic> = 0.163) between the two groups.</p></sec><sec><title>Conclusion</title><p>Intensive active virtual reality serious game training in addition to standard psychiatric care can significantly improve working memory and executive function in people diagnosed with schizophrenia.</p></sec><sec><title>Implications for Practice</title><p>When helping improve the cognitive function of people diagnosed with schizophrenia, mental health professionals should identify cognitive domains to be enhanced and develop corresponding serious game training strategies.</p></sec>