ABSTRACT
Cognitive problems are the most obvious sign of a diagnosis of schizophrenia, but for a considerable time following the genesis of the diagnosis little attention was paid to the alleviation of these problems. The prime targets for treatments were the positive symptoms and cognitive difficulties were considered to be reduced by medication. It is only recently that both the pharmacological and psychological research communities have identified improving thinking skills as an important target. This is, in part, because several studies have now suggested that cognitive problems rather than symptoms are associated with later functional outcome.
