Validation of a Traumatic Brain Injury Remediation Programme for Chronic Schizophrenia

Background: Cognitive impairments in schizophrenia share considerable overlap with those seen in traumatic brain injury (TBI). This overlap offers a rationale for investigating whether cognitive remediation strategies developed for TBI can be tailored to benefit schizophrenia. Purpose: This exploratory study assessed the efficacy and generalisability of the Brainwave-R cognitive remediation programme, designed initially for TBI, in improving neuropsychological functioning and symptom dimensions in individuals with schizophrenia. Methods: = 10 each). Participants were assessed pre- and post-intervention using the Luria-Nebraska Neuropsychological Battery and the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale. Mann-Whitney U tests were employed to compare the effect size of the intervention between groups. Results: The intervention group exhibited statistically significant improvements across a broad range of neuropsychological domains. Additionally, significant reductions were observed in negative and select positive symptom scores, highlighting the programme's multidimensional clinical impact. Conclusion: This study provides promising preliminary evidence for the cross-diagnostic applicability of TBI-based cognitive remediation in schizophrenia. However, the findings must be interpreted cautiously due to key limitations: small, all-male sample size; short intervention duration; and absence of long-term or functional outcome assessments. Future research should prioritise larger, gender-diverse, and longitudinal designs to establish the broader utility and personalisation of cognitive interventions in schizophrenia.