Virtual-reality-based social cognition and interaction training for patients with schizophrenia: A preliminary efficacy study

• DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2022.1022278
• Publication Date: 2022-11-17T09:12:05Z
• Authors: Zhi-Hua Shen; Meng-Hui Liu; Yue Wu; Qian-Qian Lin; Yong-Guang Wang
• Keywords: Cognitive Training; Social Cognitive Theory

Background Social cognition and interaction training (SCIT) is a psychosocial intervention program for patients with psychosis, designed to improve their social functioning by improving cognition. Although the feasibility efficacy of SCIT have been verified, schizophrenia tend suffer from motivational deficits low treatment adherence. It has suggested that using virtual reality (VR) technology might be effective in addressing these issues. In this study, we aimed develop VR-based compare its traditional SCIT. Materials methods We developed novel (VR-SCIT) combines (TR-SCIT) VR technology. Participants were randomly assigned 1:1:1 ratio VR-SCIT ( n = 28), TR-SCIT 30), or waiting-list groups 29). All treatments combined treatment-as-usual. Assessments (i.e., Chinese version Face-Affective Identification Task, Cognition Screening Questionnaire) Personal Performance Scale) administered baseline post-intervention. Results Patients receiving showed significantly greater improvement on assessments emotion perception (Cohen’s d was 1.66, 0.55, 0.10 VR-SCIT, TR-SCIT, Waiting-list, respectively), hostile attributional bias 0.48, 0.44, 0.05 metacognition 0.76, 0.06 waiting-list, 1.09, 0.90, 0.20 respectively) post-intervention, compared those group. Additionally, an advantage over higher compliance. Conclusion These preliminary findings indicate feasible promising method schizophrenia.