Testing Effect and Schizophrenia

Retrieval Practice in Patients With Schizophrenia : an Exploratory Study Using Word Pairs

When people are tested on a previously learned material, they will latter remember it better even when compared to a condition where they can re-study it. This phenomenon is called retrieval practice and is supported by an extensive research literature mostly carried out in normal students. This paradigm begins to be used in cognitive remediation programs in patients suffering from memory difficulties.

The objective of this study is to investigate whether retrieval practice is spared in patients with schizophrenia.

If effective, this method could be used in cognitive remediation programs.

Since episodic memory difficulties are supposed to be secondary to deficits in the initiation/elaboration of efficient encoding and retrieval strategies our hypothesis is that retrieval practice is spared in schizophrenia

Inclusion Criteria:

• French is the native language, or acquired before 5 years old
• People must be able to understand and follow the trial instructions

Specific inclusion criteria (for patients) :

• Diagnostic of schizophrenia, according to the DSM -5, clinically stable
• The treatment must remain unchanged during the trial

Exclusion Criteria:

• Severe or acute cerebral disease
• Other actual psychiatric disorder
• Use of drugs with high anticholinergic effect
• Irregular use of benzodiazepines medication, or high dose of benzodiazepin (more than 2 mg of lorazepam per day or equivalent)
• Inappropriate use of drugs

Specific exclusion criteria (for healthy subjects) :

- Diagnostic of schizophrenia of a relative up to the third degree