Schizophrenia and related psychiatric disorders can be highly disabling. Deficits in cognition, involving skills such as attention, problem solving and social understanding are core symptoms of many psychiatric disorders, which greatly impact the quality of life of patients. New research demonstrates the evidence for cognitive enhancement therapies, capable of relieving these deficits. This presentation will review the evidence for cognitive enhancement therapies and their mode of action, making recommendations for individualized implementation strategies. The topics covered will include computer-based exercises, psychotherapeutic group activities, and pharmacological interventions, as well as efforts to implement cognitive enhancement approaches in community settings.

Substance use occurs commonly in patients with these disorders and dramatically worsens their overall clinical course. This Webinar will cover the theories put forward to explain the basis of the co-occurrence of these disorders combining recent evidence from epidemiological and genetic association studies with brain imaging and pre-clinical studies to provide an updated formulation regarding the growing impact of drug abuse on the nature and incidence of psychosis.