--- title: "Psych News Alert: Computerized Brain Training Can Produce Functional Changes in Schizophrenia" description: Successful training of the brains of people with schizophrenia in discrete attentional tasks is possible and appears to translate into impro... image: https://alert.psychnews.org/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/IMG_1719-Jun-24-2025-09-21-18-5894-PM.jpg --- 10/31/11 12:00 AM # Computerized Brain Training Can Produce Functional Changes in Schizophrenia ![Picture of Psychiatric News Alert](https://alert.psychnews.org/hs-fs/hubfs/Psych%20News%20Email%20Banners/PN-Blue-Box_rgb.png?width=50&name=PN-Blue-Box_rgb.png) [ Psychiatric News Alert ](https://alert.psychnews.org/author/psychiatric-news-alert) Share: [facebook-f icon ](http://www.facebook.com/share.php?u=https://alert.psychnews.org/2011/10/computerized-brain-training-can-produce.html) [linkedin-in icon ](http://www.linkedin.com/shareArticle?mini=true&url=https://alert.psychnews.org/2011/10/computerized-brain-training-can-produce.html) [Twitter icon ](https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?url=https://alert.psychnews.org/2011/10/computerized-brain-training-can-produce.html) [pinterest-p icon ](http://pinterest.com/pin/create/link/?url=https://alert.psychnews.org/2011/10/computerized-brain-training-can-produce.html) [envelope icon ](mailto:?body=https://alert.psychnews.org/2011/10/computerized-brain-training-can-produce.html) [![](https://alert.psychnews.org/hs-fs/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/IMG_1719-Jun-24-2025-09-21-19-5424-PM.jpg?width=200&height=150&name=IMG_1719-Jun-24-2025-09-21-19-5424-PM.jpg)](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3y1q9sqmPc_S75WRykD1WuNf29Amodo6P-VAhEUueBeeEfupiUqxTYhCr629MwpwF9x2pFJdFgTG-nl8cRRg4nD0aBpiQqS5TC1b2mI46VHB2aZDHMkY577Ik0kP_Li-K57H31p9hHrpe/s1600/IMG_1719.JPG) Successful training of the brains of people with schizophrenia in discrete attentional tasks is possible and appears to translate into improvements in quality of living, said Sophia Vinogradov, M.D., winner of APA’s Alexander Gralnick Award (pictured with past APA President and current APA American Psychiatric Foundation Treasurer Richard Harding, M.D.) A t APA's Institute on Psychiatric Services in San Francisco, Vinogradov described research showing that computerized games aimed at training the brains of patients in very specific tasks can have effects on multiple interactive systems resulting in changes in global functioning. The finding marks a new direction in what has been called “cognitive remediation.” Further coverage of Vinogradov’s remarks will appear in a future issue of *Psychiatric News*. For further information about cognitive remediation, see "[Neurocognitive ‘Training’ May Undo Schizophrenia's Brain Damage](http://psychnews.psychiatryonline.org/newsarticle.aspx?articleid=113626)" and American Psychiatric Publishing's [*Essentials of Schizophrenia*](http://appi.org/SearchCenter/Pages/SearchDetail.aspx?ItemId=62401) by Jeffrey Lieberman, M.D. (Image: Mark Moran) [schizophrenia](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/schizophrenia), [cognitive remediation](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/cognitive-remediation), [brain research](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/brain-research), [brain training](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/brain-training) ## Related posts [![](https://alert.psychnews.org/hs-fs/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/man_thinking_iStock_73705665-Jun-24-2025-04-19-06-0106-PM.jpg?height=200&name=man_thinking_iStock_73705665-Jun-24-2025-04-19-06-0106-PM.jpg) ](https://alert.psychnews.org/2018/10/specialized-psychotherapy-found-to.html) [schizophrenia](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/schizophrenia), [cognitive remediation](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/cognitive-remediation), [Schizophrenia Bulletin](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/schizophrenia-bulletin), [problem-solving](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/problem-solving), [positive symptoms](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/positive-symptoms), [Ryan Balzan](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/ryan-balzan), [metacognitive training](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/metacognitive-training), [delusions](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/delusions) ## [Specialized Psychotherapy Found to Reduce Severity of Delusions in Patients With Schizophrenia](https://alert.psychnews.org/2018/10/specialized-psychotherapy-found-to.html) ![Picture of Psychiatric News Alert](https://alert.psychnews.org/hs-fs/hubfs/Psych%20News%20Email%20Banners/PN-Blue-Box_rgb.png?width=50&name=PN-Blue-Box_rgb.png) [Psychiatric News Alert](https://alert.psychnews.org/author/psychiatric-news-alert) 10/31/18 12:00 AM Participating in a brief course of individualized metacognitive training—a psychotherapy designed... [ Read more ](https://alert.psychnews.org/2018/10/specialized-psychotherapy-found-to.html) [![](https://alert.psychnews.org/hs-fs/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/shutterstock_88504876-4.jpg?height=200&name=shutterstock_88504876-4.jpg) ](https://alert.psychnews.org/2014/01/cognitive-remediation-can-boost.html) [schizophrenia](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/schizophrenia), [cognitive remediation](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/cognitive-remediation), [supported employment](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/supported-employment) ## [Cognitive Remediation Can Boost Employment Rates for Schizophrenia Patients, Study Finds](https://alert.psychnews.org/2014/01/cognitive-remediation-can-boost.html) ![Picture of Psychiatric News Alert](https://alert.psychnews.org/hs-fs/hubfs/Psych%20News%20Email%20Banners/PN-Blue-Box_rgb.png?width=50&name=PN-Blue-Box_rgb.png) [Psychiatric News Alert](https://alert.psychnews.org/author/psychiatric-news-alert) 1/7/14 12:00 AM Augmenting supported employment with cognitive remediation can improve vocational outcomes for... [ Read more ](https://alert.psychnews.org/2014/01/cognitive-remediation-can-boost.html) [![](https://alert.psychnews.org/hs-fs/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/robin_williams2-Jun-24-2025-03-21-36-2196-PM.jpg?height=200&name=robin_williams2-Jun-24-2025-03-21-36-2196-PM.jpg) ](https://alert.psychnews.org/2014/08/apa-reaches-out-in-wake-of-robin.html) [APA](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/apa), [suicide](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/suicide), [M.D.](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/m-d-), [American Psychiatric Association](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/american-psychiatric-association), [Jeffrey Borenstein](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/jeffrey-borenstein), [Paul Summergrad M.D.](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/paul-summergrad-m-d-), [Robin Williams](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/robin-williams) ## [APA Reaches Out in Wake of Robin Williams' Death](https://alert.psychnews.org/2014/08/apa-reaches-out-in-wake-of-robin.html) ![Picture of Psychiatric News Alert](https://alert.psychnews.org/hs-fs/hubfs/Psych%20News%20Email%20Banners/PN-Blue-Box_rgb.png?width=50&name=PN-Blue-Box_rgb.png) [Psychiatric News Alert](https://alert.psychnews.org/author/psychiatric-news-alert) 6/24/24 11:16 AM Every day in the United States an average of 108 people die by suicide, a statistic brought into... [ Read more ](https://alert.psychnews.org/2014/08/apa-reaches-out-in-wake-of-robin.html) ```json { "@context" : "https://schema.org", "@type" : "BlogPosting", "author" : { "@type" : "Person", "name" : "Psychiatric News Alert", "url" : "https://alert.psychnews.org/author/psychiatric-news-alert" }, "dateModified" : "2025-06-24T21:24:16.674Z", "datePublished" : "2011-10-31T04:00:00.000Z", "headline" : "Psych News Alert: Computerized Brain Training Can Produce Functional Changes in Schizophrenia", "image" : [ "https://alert.psychnews.org/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/IMG_1719-Jun-24-2025-09-21-18-5894-PM.jpg" ], "mainEntityOfPage" : { "@id" : "https://alert.psychnews.org/2011/10/computerized-brain-training-can-produce.html", "@type" : "WebPage" }, "publisher" : { "@type" : "Organization", "logo" : { "@type" : "ImageObject", "url" : "https://alert.psychnews.org/hubfs/PN-Blue-Box.jpg" } } } ```