Cognitive remediation (CR) has gained increasing empirical support for the treatment of cognitive deficits in schizophrenia but substantial individual differences remain, according to a recent study. Researchers evaluated the role of 3 age ranges in treatment response to CR, relative to a closely-matched computer skills control intervention, in a blinded, randomized control trial with 112 adults with schizophrenia divided into 3 groups: An early-stage group (ES; ≤25 years, mean=3.4 years of illness; n=45), an early-chronic group (EC; 26–39, mean=7.6 years of illness; n=31) and a late-chronic group (LC; 40 and over, mean=18.2 years of illness; n=36). They found:

• Early-stage and early-chronic individuals with schizophrenia showed greater improvement in response to CR on a working memory measure.

• Adaptations of currently-existing CR programs to more effectively address the needs of older client populations are warranted.