This study evaluates the effectiveness of a cognitive remediation (CR) program plus group coaching and support designed to improve processing speed and, in turn, social functioning and attenuated positive symptoms in individual considered Clinical High Risk for psychosis. The SCORES (Specific COgnitive REmediation with Support) intervention is a novel Cognitive Remediation program combined with group coaching, performance-based rewards, game-like tasks, and educational elements to increase engagement and retention. The study is funded by a R61/R33 award. In the current active R61 phase, presented here, all participants will complete 40 hours of Cognitive Remediation or brain training (4 hours per week/10 weeks) with a mid-point assessment (at 5 weeks) to determine the training dose needed to impact processing speed as measured by the Matrics Cognitive Consensus Battery. Employing the optimal dose of SCORES (20 or 40 hours) found in the R61, we will apply for the R33 (Phase 2) to allow for a replication and assessment of specificity of the targeted intervention.
This 10 week intervention, Specific Cognitive Remediation with Surround (or SCORES), is designed to target processing speed, a cognitive domain related directly to social functioning, which in turn, represents a vulnerability factor for psychosis. This remotely-delivered intervention combining targeted cognitive training exercises and group support was developed to directly impact processing speed, and at the same time, boost motivation and engagement in adolescents at risk for schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders.