Social cognitive deficits are an important target in the treatment of patients with schizophrenia (1). The objectives of long-term treatment are not only to prevent relapse and reach remission but also to improve psychosocial functioning and working performance.

Atypical antipsychotic agents have been linked to a certain positive effect on cognition. We used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to evaluate the effects of psychotropic drugs on social cognition. The findings indicated a similar activation pattern in patients with schizophrenia and healthy controls (3). In addition to treatment with psychopharmacological agents, neuropsychological rehabilitation programmes can further improve cognitive function and functional outcome. In a randomised study, we investigated the effects of atypical antipsychotic agents in combination with computer-based training on social recognition.

Schizophrenic patients (n=20) receiving treatment with new antipsychotics in combination with a six-week training on affect recognition (TAR) were compared with a randomized control group (n=18) receiving pharmacological treatment with new antipsychotics in combination with occupational therapy (TAU). Effects on social cognition were tested with the Vienna Emotion Recognition Task (VERT-K). In addition, we investigated neurocognitive performance using the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST), TAP Alertness, Vigilance and working memory, negative symptoms using PANNS, depression using Beck‘s Depression Scale (BDI) and Quality of Life (WHOQOL-Bref).

In comparison to the TAU group, the TAR group achieved significant improvements in affect recognition in general as well as in recognizing sad faces. While the TAR group showed improved Quality of Life and Negative Symptoms, both groups were able to enhance some aspects of neurocognitive performance.

A six-week training on affect recognition (TAR) contributes to improvements in some aspects of cognitive and emotional performance with additional positive effects on functional outcome. The training group achieved improvements in social relationships, an important domain of quality of life (2).