Improving Theory of Mind in Schizophrenia byTargeting Cognition and Metacognition with ComputerizedCognitive Remediation: A Multiple Case Study

Schizophrenia is associated with deficits in theory of mind (ToM) (i.e., the ability to infer the mental states of others) andcognition. Associations have often been reported between cognition and ToM, and ToM mediates the relationship between impairedcognition and impaired functioning in schizophrenia. Given that cognitive deficits could act as a limiting factor for ToM, this studyinvestigated whether a cognitive remediation therapy (CRT) that targets nonsocial cognition and metacognition could improveToM in schizophrenia. Four men with schizophrenia received CRT. Assessments of ToM, cognition, and metacognition wereconducted at baseline and posttreatment as well as three months and 1 year later. Two patients reached a significant improvementin ToM immediately after treatment whereas at three months after treatment all four cases reached a significant improvement,which was maintained through 1 year after treatment for all three cases that remained in the study. Improvements in ToM wereaccompanied by significant improvements in the most severely impaired cognitive functions at baseline or by improvements inmetacognition. This study establishes that a CRT program that does not explicitly target social abilities can improve ToM