Prospect of Computerised Cognitive Remediation Therapy in Malaysia: Results of a Pilot Study in Kota Bharu, Kelantan

Introduction: The Computerized Cognitive Remediation Project for Schizophrenia (CREPS) was launched in December 2005 in Kota Bharu, Malaysia to set up a computerised cognitive remediation therapy (CRT) program in the local setting. The main purpose of this pilot study was to explore the practicality of implementing the CREPS programme in the local setting which was modelled from an existing protocol run in Sydney, Australia. Methodology: 10 cognitively impaired schizophrenia patients successfully underwent 20 sessions of CRT. Measurements of cognitive functioning, psychopathology and psychosocial functioning were administered at baseline and post-treatment. Results: In general, an encouraging trend of improvement was noted in almost all the measurements, being statistically significant in two cognitive measures – response speed and recognition. Conclusion: CRT has a good prospect for implementation in Malaysia. The main limitation of this study is small sample size and absence of a control group.