Table 1.
Summary of articles included in the results.
| Study | Design | Active (A) and Control/Comparator (C) | Number of Participants | Duration (wks) | Target Outcome and Measures | Results |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| d’Amato et al. (2011) [7] | Single-blind RCT | A: RehaComC: Waitlist | 77 | 7 weeks plus 12-week follow-up | Neurocognition: Cogtest Battery Test Community |
Verbal Learning: d = 1.55 Attention: d = 0.42, d = 0.48 Verbal Memory: d = 0.52 Working Memory: d = 0.41 |
| Functioning: Social Autonomy Scale | Functioning: ns | |||||
| Wolwer et al. (2011) [8] | Single-blind RCT | A: Training of Affect Recognition C: CogPack |
38 | 6 | Social Cognition: Pictures of Facial Affect; Geneva Vocal Emotion Expression Stimulus; Theory of Mind Questionnaire; Role-play task | Prosodic affect recognition: d = 0.89 Theory of Mind: d = 1.14 |
| Social Functioning: Social and Occupational Functioning Assessment Scale | Social competence: d = 0.75 Social functioning: d = 0.58 |
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| Gharaeipour & Scott (2012) [9] | Single-blind RCT | A: Adapted CRT C: Group supportive therapy |
42 | 8 | Neurocognition: Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test; Wisconsin Card Sorting Test; Auditory Consonant Trigrams; Rey-Osterrieth Complex Figure Test; Trail Making Test A and B | Cognitive composite: d = 0.37 Attention: p = 0.044 Processing Speed: p = 0.013 Visual Learning and Memory: p = 0.020, p = 0.014 Executive Function: 0.039 Verbal Working Memory: p = 0.023 Verbal Learning: p = 0.020 |
| Lindenmayer et al. (2012) [10] | RCT | A: CogPack plus Mind Reading: Interactive Guide to Emotions (MRIGE) C: CogPack |
59 | 12 | Neurocognition: MATRICS Consensus Cognitive Battery | Cognitive Composite: d = 0.30 Processing Speed: d = 0.32 Attention/Vigilance: d = 0.26 Working Memory: d = 0.32 |
| Social Cognition: Facial Emotion Identification Test; Facial Emotion Discrimination Test; Mayor-Salovey-Caruso Emotional Intelligence Test | Social Cognition: d = 0.73 Emotion Perception: d = 1.24, d = 1.27 |
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| Social Functioning: Personal and Social Performance Scale | Social Functioning: d = 0.47 | |||||
| Rass et al. (2012) [11] | Three-arm parallel, single-blind RCT | A: Posit Science C: Watch movies/television C: TAU |
44 | 10 weeks plus 20-week follow-up | Neurocognition: MATRICS Consensus Cognitive Battery | Global Cognition: ns |
| Keefe et al. (2012) [12] | Single-blind randomized-controlled feasibility and pilot trial | A: Posit Science Brain Fitness C: Computer games and healthy lifestyles group |
53 | 12 | Neurocognition: MATRICS Consensus Cognitive Battery | Global Cognition: ns |
| Lu et al. (2012) [13] | RCT | A: Frontal/Executive Program C: TAU |
126 | 12 | Neurocognition: Wisconsin Card Sorting Test | Cognitive Functioning: p = 0.019 |
| Social Functioning: Scale of Social Skills of chronic schizophrenia Inpatients | Functioning: ns | |||||
| Hubacher et al. (2013) [14] | Randomized-controlled pilot trial | A: Brainstim C: Waitlist |
29 | 4 | Neurocognition: Verbal Fluency Test; Selective Reminding Test; Spatial Recall Test; Symbol Digit Modalities Test; Test Battery for Attention Performance; Wechsler Memory Scale-Revisied; Paced Auditory Serial Addition Test | Verbal Working Memory: d = 1.04 |
| Sánchez et al. (2014) [15] | Single-blind RCT | A: REHACOP C: Drawing, reading, and constructing objects |
84 | 12 | Neurocognition: Wechsler General Intelligence Scale-III; Hopkins Verbal Learning Test; Semantic and Phonological Fluency Subtests from Barcelona Test | Processing speed: d = 0.63 Working Memory: d = 0.88 Verbal Learning: d = 0.88 |
| Global Functioning: Global Assessment of Functioning; Clinical Global Impressions; Disability Assessment Schedule-World Health Organization | Social Competence: d = 0.56 Vocational Outcome: d = 0.47 Family Contact: d = 0.50 |
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| Mendella et al. (2015) [16] | Randomized-controlled pilot trial | A: Compensatory Cognitive Training C: TAU |
27 | 12 | Neurocognition: MATRICS Consensus Cognitive Battery | Cognitive Composite: η2p = 0.350 Processing Speed: η2p = 0.178 |
| Social Cognition: Mayor-Salovey-Caruso Emotional Intelligence Test | Social Cognition: η2p = 0.170 | |||||
| Global Functioning: University of California, San Diego Performance Based Skill Assessment-Brief Version | Functioning: ns | |||||
| Kurtz et al. (2015) [17] | Single-blind RCT | A: CogRem plus Social Skills Training C: Computer games plus Social Skills Training |
56 | 23 | Neurocognition: Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-III/IV; Penn Continuous Performance Test; California Verbal Learning Test | Attention and Working Memory: d = 0.46 |
| Social Functioning: Social Skills Performance Assessment; Quality of Life Scale-Brief | Empathy: d = 0.67 | |||||
| Matsuda et al. (2016) [18] | Single-blind randomized-controlled feasibility trial | A: Japanese Cognitive Rehabilitation Programme for Schizophrenia C: TAU |
62 | 12 | Neurocognition: Brief Assessment of Cognition in Schizophrenia-Japanese | Cognitive Composite: p = 0.047 Verbal Memory: p = 0.008 |
| Social Functioning: Life Assessment Scale for Mentally Ill | Functioning: ns | |||||
| Peña et al. (2016) [19] | Single-blind, parallel-group RCT | A: REHACOP C: Occupational group activities |
111 | 16 | Neurocognition: Hopkins Verbal Learning Test; Stroop Test; Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-III; Accentuation Reading Test Based Skill Assessment |
Cognitive Composite: η2p = 0.138 |
| Social Cognition: Happé Test; Mayer-Salovery-Caruso Emotional Intelligence Test-Spanish; Situational Feature Recognition Test; Attributional Style Questionnaire | Theory of Mind: η2p = 0.148 Social Perception: η2p = 0.082 Emotion Perception: η2p = 0.071 Managing Emotions: η2p = 0.066 |
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| Global Functioning: Global Assessment of Functioning; University of California, San Diego Performance | Functional Competence: η2p = 0.154 Global Functioning: η2p = 0.154 |
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| Fan et al. (2017) [20] | Single-blind RCT | A: Computerized CRT C: TAU |
23 | 8 | Neurocognition: MATRICS Consensus Cognitive Battery | Processing Speed: p = 0.01 |
| Lindenmayer et al. (2018) [21] | Single-blind, parallel-group RCT | A: CogPack or Brain Fitness plus MRIGE C: CogPack or Brain Fitness alone |
78 | 12 | Neurocognition: MATRICS Consensus Cognitive Battery | Cognitive Composite: d = 2.37 Visual Learning: d = 1.51 Working Memory: d = 1.50 Processing Speed: d = 1.93 |
| Social Cognition: Facial Emotion Identification Test; Facial Emotion Discrimination Test; Dynamic Social Cognition Battery; Penn Emotion Recognition Task | Emotion Recognition: d = 0.85 Emotion Perception: d = 1.21 |
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| Global Functioning: University of California, San Diego Performance Based Skill Assessment-Brief Version | Functioning: ns | |||||
| Bryce et al. (2018) [22] | Parallel, single-blind RCT | A: CogPack C: Computer games |
56 | 10 weeks plus 12-week follow-up | Neurocognition: MATRICS Consensus Cognitive Battery | Cognitive Composite: d = 0.68 |
| Global Functioning: Independent Living Skills Survey-Self Report | Functioning: ns | |||||
| Kukla et al. (2018) [23] | Single-blind RCT | A: Posit Science Brain Fitness and Insight plus Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) C: CBT |
75 | 26 weeks plus 48-week follow-up | Neurocognition: MATRICS Consensus Cognitive Battery | Cognitive Composite: p = 0.002 Verbal Learning: p = 0.003 |
| Social Cognition: Mayer-Salovery-Caruso Emotional Intelligence Test | Social Cognition: p = 0.006 | |||||
| Work Outcome: Work Behavior Inventory | Worked more hours: p = 0.02 | |||||
| Cassetta et al. (2018) [24] | Three-arm parallel, double-blind RCT | A: BrainGymmer: Working Memory A: BrainGymmer: Processing Speed C: TAU |
71 | 10 | Neurocognition: N-Back; Maintenance and Manipulation Task; Digit Span; Delis-Kaplan Executive Function System | Working Memory: ns Processing Speed: η2p = 0.107 Executive Function: η2p = 0.112 and 0.132 |
| Social Cognition: Hinting Task; Geneva Emotion Recognition Test | Social Cognition: η2p = 0.146 | |||||
| Global Functioning: Cognitive Failures Questionnaire; University of California, San Diego Performance Based Skill Assessment-Brief Version; Social and Occupational Functioning Assessment Scale | Functioning: η2p = 0.139 | |||||
| Contreras et al. (2018) [25] | Single-blind RCT | A: CogPack plus Visual Processing Training C: CogPack alone |
20 | 10 | Neurocognition: MATRICS Consensus Cognitive Battery | Visual Learning: d = 0.88 Working Memory: d = 0.44 |
| Social Cognition: Mayor-Salovey-Caruso Emotional Intelligence Test | Social Cognition: d = 0.50 | |||||
| Ventura et al. (2019) [26] | RCT | A: Adapted Neuropsychological Educational Approach to Remediation (NEAR) and Neurocognitive Enhancement Therapy (NET) C: Healthy Behaviors Training |
80 | 24 weeks plus 24 weeks of booster sessions | Social Functioning: UCLA Social Attainment Survey | Social Functioning: p = 0.05 |
| Jahshan et al. (2019) [27] | Three-arm parallel, RCT | A: Brain Fitness A: CogPack C: Sporcle Computer games |
99 | 12 | Neurocognition: MATRICS Consensus Cognitive Battery | Cognitive Composite: ns |
| Social Cognition: Mayor-Salovey-Caruso Emotional Intelligence Test | Social Cognition: p = 0.008 | |||||
| Global Functioning: University of California, San Diego Performance Based Skill Assessment | Functioning: ns | |||||
| Linke et al. (2019) [28] | RCT | A: CogPack C: Relaxation training, integration games, and lectures |
66 | 6 | Neurocognition: MATRICS Consensus Cognitive Battery | Cognitive Composite: ns |
| Social Cognition: Mayor-Salovey-Caruso Emotional Intelligence Test | Social Cognition: ns | |||||
| Global Functioning: Global Assessment of Functioning | Functioning: ns | |||||
| Molina et al. (2020) [29] | Parallel-group RCT | A: BrainHQ C: Computer games |
42 | 10–12 | Neurocognition: MATRICS Consensus Cognitive Battery | Cognitive Composite: R2 = 0.31 Attention/Vigilance: R2 = 0.18 Working Memory: R2 = 0.17 |
| Sampedro et al. (2021) [30] | Parallel, single-blind RCT | A: REHACOP C: Occupational group activities |
94 | 20 | Neurocognition: Modified Wisconsin Card Sorting Test; Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-III; Stroop Color and Word Test; Hopkins Verbal Learning Test | Processing Speed: η2p = 0.190 Working Memory: η2p = 0.074 Verbal Memory: η2p = 0.166 |
| Social Cognition: Happé Test; Social Attribution Task-Multiple Choice; Bell Lysaker Emotion Recognition Test | Theory of Mind: η2p = 0.293 Emotion Processing: η2p = 0.137 |
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| Global Functioning: University of California, San Diego Performance Based Skill Assessment; Social Functioning Scale | Functioning: η2p = 0.253 | |||||
| Hatami et al. (2021) [31] | Single-blind RCT | A: CogPack C: TAU |
62 | 4–5 | Neurocognition: Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery | Visual Memory: d = 0.14–0.71 |
| Global Functioning: Global Assessment of Functioning | Functioning: p = 0.034 | |||||
| Zhu et al. (2021) [32] | Three-arm parallel, single-blind RCT | A: CogSMARTA: CogSMART plus Medication Self-Management Skills Training C: TAU |
72 | 4 | Neurocognition: Brief Assessment of Cognition in Schizophrenia | Cognitive Composite: η2p = 0.275 Verbal Learning: η2p = 0.373 |
| Medication Adherence: Medication Adherence Questionnaire | Medication Adherence: η2p = 0.127 |
Legend of Abbreviations: wks, Weeks; CRT, Cognitive Remediation Training; RCT, Randomized-Controlled Trial; TAU, Treatment as Usual; d, Cohen’s d Effect Size; ns, Non-Significant; p, Statistical Significance p-value; η2p, Partial eta-Squared; R2, r-squared Coefficient of Determination. Note. Only statistically significant findings are presented in the results column. When effect sizes were not given, p-values were included. Secondary outcome targets and results that were out of the scope of this review were omitted.