Adjusting deviant oscillatory dynamics in Schizophrenia via computerized-cognitive training

Abstract

Schizophrenia disease is characterized by severe impairments in cognitive and perceptual functions. Recent findings demonstrate that neural oscillatory mechanisms might play a fundamental role in a number of cognitive functions in the disease, suggesting a redefinition of Schizophrenia as disorder of brain dynamics. Appropriate treatment requires characterization of deviant oscillatory mechanisms and their temporal dynamics as well as the evaluation of possible relationship to cognitive behavior. Present thesis focused on the impact of cognitive training interventions on cognitive functioning and underlying neural oscillatory mechanisms under task- and resting state task-negative conditions. Conceptually, the present thesis can be divided into three parts. Part 1 summarizes the findings that unveil schizophrenia as disease of severe cognitive abnormalities and impaired temporal coordination and dynamics. Part 2 places these observations into a broader methodological perspective and addresses the question of cognitive amelioration possibilities in response to neuroplasticity- based training procedures. Thereby the extensiveness and boundaries of training effects were explored in studying the brain-state dependent functioning and relevance for intact cognitive functioning by examining oscillatory activity and fundamental mechanisms observed at rest in schizophrenia and health; and evaluating their modulation potential in schizophrenia after -- based intervention. Part 3 will finally recapitulate the findings in the present thesis and suggest how the studies on hand contribute to a deeper understanding of neural oscillations and how timing precision and coordination in schizophrenia might be related to deficient behavior output.