Cristiana Rocca - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Papers by Cristiana Rocca

Brazilian Journal of Psychiatry

Psicologia: Reflexão e Crítica

Recent literature emphasizes how the specific stressors of the COVID-19 outbreak affect the gener... more Recent literature emphasizes how the specific stressors of the COVID-19 outbreak affect the general population and frontline professionals, including those conducting support or backup activities in health units, which can lead to vicarious traumatization. Vicarious traumatization has been used to describe negative emotional reactions in mental health professionals who assist or treat victims of traumatic events. Thus, the aim of this article is to report the actions used in the face of the psychological demands of professionals in a hospital, who were not on the frontline of COVID-19. We collected their sociodemographic information and checked the psychological impact using the depression, anxiety, and stress scale (DASS-21), which was followed by a psychoeducational program (topics related to COVID-19 control and prevention), and individual psychological care for the most severe cases. A total of 118 professionals participated in this study; they were between 20 and 67 years old. ...

Revista Brasileira de Geriatria e Gerontologia

Adaptação transcultural do instrumento de avaliação de desempenho em tarefas rotineiras Routine T... more Adaptação transcultural do instrumento de avaliação de desempenho em tarefas rotineiras Routine Task Inventory-Extended (RTI-E) para uso com idosos com demência no Brasil Cross-cultural adaptation of functioning evaluation Routine Task Inventory-Extended (RTI-E) for use in elderly people with dementia in Brazil

Frontiers in Psychology

The current study verified the association between cognitive process such as attention, executive... more The current study verified the association between cognitive process such as attention, executive functioning, and legal capacity in patients with bipolar disorder (BD). The sample consisted of 72 participants, assorted to episodic patients (n= 21), euthymic patients (n= 22), and healthy controls (HCs) (n= 29). We used the following neuropsychological measures: subtests of the Wechsler Abbreviated Intelligence Scale (WASI): vocabulary and matrix reasoning; Continuous Performance Test (CPT); Five Digit Test (FDT); and Rey–Osterrieth Complex Figure (ROCF). Euthymic patients expressed slower processing speed (FDT) compared to HC. They tended to make more errors with slightly worse discrimination, suggesting more impulsiveness (CPT,p< 0.01). On the contrary, episodic patients showed worse discrimination, committed more omissions, were more inconsistent with regard to response speed (CPT-3,p< 0.01), showed more difficulties in organizing their actions (ROCF: copy,p= 0.03), and were...

Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research), May 7, 2016

Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 2017

Results: There was more illness and assortative mating for a mood disorder in both the patient's ... more Results: There was more illness and assortative mating for a mood disorder in both the patient's spouse (31 vs. 9%) and the patient's parents (21 vs. 3%) from the United States compared with Europe. In the parents of the US patients, assortative mating for a mood disorder was associated with more depression, bipolar disorder, alcohol, and other illnesses in the patient's offspring. Conclusions: This two-generation increase in assortative mating in the United States adds to the genetic vulnerability to mental illness in the offspring, further increasing the combined effects of greater amounts of psychosocial stress in the United States. The increases in childhood-onset illness driven by these factors deserve new efforts in research, clinical, and public health attempts to address and ameliorate this most unfortunate situation.

We have included a copy of the SPIRIT checklist. (DOC 119 kb)

Brazilian Journal of Psychiatry, 2020

General Hospital Psychiatry, 2022

Objective The present study aims to investigate the occurrence of psychiatric and cognitive impai... more Objective The present study aims to investigate the occurrence of psychiatric and cognitive impairments in a cohort of survivors of moderate or severe forms of COVID-19. Method 425 adults were assessed 6 to 9 months after hospital discharge with a structured psychiatric interview, psychometric tests and a cognitive battery. A large, multidisciplinary, set of clinical data depicting the acute phase of the disease, along with relevant psychosocial variables, were used to predict psychiatric and cognitive outcomes using the ‘Least Absolute Shrinkage and Selection Operator’ (LASSO) method. Results Diagnoses of ‘depression’, ‘generalized anxiety disorder’ and ‘post-traumatic stress disorder’ were established respectively in 8%, 15.5% and 13.6% of the sample. After pandemic onset (i.e., within the previous year), the prevalence of ‘depression’ and ‘generalized anxiety disorder’ were 2.56% and 8.14%, respectively. Memory decline was subjectively reported by 51.1% of the patients. Psychiatric or cognitive outcomes were not associated with any clinical variables related to the severity of acute-phase disease, nor by disease-related psychosocial stressors. Conclusions This is the first study to access rates of psychiatric and cognitive morbidity in the long-term outcome after moderate or severe forms of COVID-19 using standardized measures. As a key finding, there was no significant association between clinical severity in the acute-phase of SARS-CoV-2 infection and the neuropsychiatric impairment 6 to 9 months thereafter.

Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 2017

Objectives: A few studies have shown cognitive abnormalities in youngsters with anxiety disorders... more Objectives: A few studies have shown cognitive abnormalities in youngsters with anxiety disorders, particularly impairment in attention and memory processes. The aim of this study was to investigate whether planning ability is compromised in children and adolescents with anxiety disorders. Methods: A sample group of 37 children (ages 7-17 years), diagnosed with at least one anxiety disorder [generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), separation anxiety disorder (SAD), and/or social anxiety; study group], and 34 healthy control subjects were evaluated. The following neuropsychological tests were used: 1) the Tower of Hanoi task (ToH) for the assessment of planning ability; 2) speed processing and problem solving; and 3) the Vocabulary and Matrix Reasoning subtests of the Wechsler Abbreviated Scale of Intelligence (WASI) for measures of the estimated IQ in both groups. The groups were compared with a generalized linear model controlling for age, IQ, and ADHD comorbidity. Results: Compared with the control group, subjects with anxiety disorders made more errors (P ¼ 0.006) and required more time (P ¼ 0.001) to complete the ToH task. Conclusions: Findings from this study suggest that subjects with pediatric anxiety disorder have poorer planning ability than healthy control subjects. Poorer planning ability performances seem to be related to attentional control theory, which suggests that anxiety impairs the efficiency of the inhibition and shifting functions.

European Archives of Psychiatry and Clinical Neuroscience, 2021

Recently, much attention has been drawn to the importance of the impact of infectious disease on ... more Recently, much attention has been drawn to the importance of the impact of infectious disease on human cognition. Several theories have been proposed, to explain the cognitive decline following an infection as well as to understand better the pathogenesis of human dementia, especially Alzheimer's disease. This article aims to review the state of the art regarding the knowledge about the impact of acute viral infections on human cognition, laying a foundation to explore the possible cognitive decline followed coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). To reach this goal, we conducted a narrative review systematizing six acute viral infections as well as the current knowledge about COVID-19 and its impact on human cognition. Recent findings suggest probable short-and long-term COVID-19 impacts in cognition, even in asymptomatic individuals, which could be accounted for by direct and indirect pathways to brain dysfunction. Understanding this scenario might help clinicians and health leaders to deal better with a wave of neuropsychiatric issues that may arise following COVID-19 pandemic as well as with other acute viral infections, to alleviate the cognitive sequelae of these infections around the world.

Archives of Clinical Psychiatry (São Paulo), 2020

Background: Schizophrenia is a severe and chronic psychiatric disorder with significant cognitive... more Background: Schizophrenia is a severe and chronic psychiatric disorder with significant cognitive deficits, which are considered structural markers for the disease. Language disturbances have an important role in patients' social functioning and interpersonal relationships. Objectives: Evaluate the capacity to understand pragmatic language in schizophrenic patients, through the comprehension of nonliteral meaning in metaphors and the ability to use contextual clues to better understand their meanings. Methods: Thirty patients were evaluated using Abbreviated Intelligence Scale (WASI), Interpretation of Metaphors subtest of the Montreal Communication Evaluation Battery (MAC). Results: The linear regression model showed that schizophrenic patients presented below average performance in the interpretation of metaphors task, with tendency to concrete interpretations. Variables such as IQ, WASI Vocabulary subtest and years since onset influenced the patients' pragmatic language skills. This relation was not found for family history. Existence of the metaphor in native colloquial language (Portuguese) and being given alternatives to choose from, enhanced patients' performance. Discussion: Results corroborate findings regarding this population's difficulties in the language cognitive domain. Development of interventions aiming comprehension of pragmatic language could help ease patients' social difficulties, especially if started early at onset. Also, better understanding of this deficit can help create rehabilitation strategies.

Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 2020

Journal of Psychiatry and Psychiatric Disorders, 2017

Background: Recent evidence suggests that children and adolescents presenting poor motor skills a... more Background: Recent evidence suggests that children and adolescents presenting poor motor skills are at greater risk of developing internalizing symptoms, emotional/behavioural and externalizing problems. Motor coordination difficulties, as in Developmental Coordination Disorder, co-occurrence with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity and Autism Spectrum Disorders are well documented. Few studies investigated the co-occurrence of motor difficulties and mood, anxiety, psychotic and emerging personality disorders in children and adolescents. Objectives: To investigate whether children presenting psychiatric symptomatology manifest motor coordination difficulties. Methods: 48 children and adolescents in semi-hospitalisation in a psychiatric-day facility were selected during a period of two years and screened according to DSM-5 criteria and a motor coordination assessment battery.

Journal of Child and Family Studies, 2019

Objectives We systematically reviewed controlled studies published in the last 16 years about emo... more Objectives We systematically reviewed controlled studies published in the last 16 years about emotion recognition deficits in maltreated children. Methods A bibliographical research of controlled studies, including only studies with samples larger than 10 participants, from 1998 to 2017, was conducted on Medline, Lilacs, PubMed and ISI. A total of 31 articles were included in this review. Results Abused children have a recognition bias for negative expressions, especially fear and anger. This increased perception tends to impair interpersonal relationships throughout their development. However, it appears as a matter of necessity, related to survival in a hostile environment. Moreover, neglected children have a shorter reaction time for recognition of negative facial expressions. Thus, the consequence of this deficit generates losses, such as the difficulty of ability to perceive a situation that puts them at risk. Conclusions Children victims of severe domestic violence, as well as those who have been sexually abused and neglected, experience a learning situation regarding past experiences. The losses appear both in abnormal anatomical brain and physiological formations, as well as psychological and behavioral changes that impact the lives of these individuals. These changes are associated to changes mainly in circuits related to the prefrontal cortex and limbic regions, which are responsible for regulating the reaction to a threat. Future studies should develop programs, focusing not only in the prevention of adverse family environments and domestic violence, but also in helping these children improve psychosocial adaptation.

Revista Brasileira de Psiquiatria, 2018

Objective: To compare social skills and related executive functions among bipolar disorder (BD) p... more Objective: To compare social skills and related executive functions among bipolar disorder (BD) patients with a family history of mood disorders (FHMD), BD patients with no FHMD and healthy control (HCs). Methods: We evaluated 20 euthymic patients with FHMD, 17 euthymic patients without FHMD, and 31 HCs using the Social Skills Inventory (SSI) and a neuropsychological battery evaluating executive function, inhibitory control, verbal fluency and estimated intelligence. Results: Both BD groups had lower SSI scores than controls. Scores for one subfactor of the social skills questionnaire, conversational skills and social performance, were significantly lower among patients with FHMD than among patients without FHMD (p = 0.019). Both groups of BD patients exhibited significant deficits in initiation/inhibition, but only BD patients with FHMD had deficits in verbal fluency, both compared to HC. There were no associations between social skills questionnaire scores and measures of cognitive function. Conclusion: Euthymic BD patients have lower social skills and executive function performance than HC. The presence of FHMD among BD patients is specifically associated with deficits in conversational and social performance skills, in addition to deficits in verbal fluency. Both characteristics might be associated with a common genetically determined pathophysiological substrate.

Bipolar Disorders, 2019

ObjectivesBipolar disorder is frequently associated with cognitive impairment even during euthymi... more ObjectivesBipolar disorder is frequently associated with cognitive impairment even during euthymia. Previous studies have reported significant impairments in functional and quality of life outcomes and a possible relationship between these variables and cognitive performance. Cognitive rehabilitation interventions have been proposed to address these outcomes but positive results are still scarce. The objective of the present study is to evaluate the efficacy of a new intervention developed to address both cognitive and functional impairment.MethodsThirty‐nine individuals were included in this randomized controlled trial. All participants were evaluated by the Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery (CANTAB) and completed functional and quality of life (QOL) scales. Patients were randomized to either treatment as usual (TAU) or Cognitive Behavior Rehabilitation (CBR), an add‐on treatment delivered in 12 weekly group sessions. All individuals were revaluated after 12 weeks...

Brazilian Journal of Psychiatry

Psicologia: Reflexão e Crítica

Recent literature emphasizes how the specific stressors of the COVID-19 outbreak affect the gener... more Recent literature emphasizes how the specific stressors of the COVID-19 outbreak affect the general population and frontline professionals, including those conducting support or backup activities in health units, which can lead to vicarious traumatization. Vicarious traumatization has been used to describe negative emotional reactions in mental health professionals who assist or treat victims of traumatic events. Thus, the aim of this article is to report the actions used in the face of the psychological demands of professionals in a hospital, who were not on the frontline of COVID-19. We collected their sociodemographic information and checked the psychological impact using the depression, anxiety, and stress scale (DASS-21), which was followed by a psychoeducational program (topics related to COVID-19 control and prevention), and individual psychological care for the most severe cases. A total of 118 professionals participated in this study; they were between 20 and 67 years old. ...

Revista Brasileira de Geriatria e Gerontologia

Adaptação transcultural do instrumento de avaliação de desempenho em tarefas rotineiras Routine T... more Adaptação transcultural do instrumento de avaliação de desempenho em tarefas rotineiras Routine Task Inventory-Extended (RTI-E) para uso com idosos com demência no Brasil Cross-cultural adaptation of functioning evaluation Routine Task Inventory-Extended (RTI-E) for use in elderly people with dementia in Brazil

Frontiers in Psychology

The current study verified the association between cognitive process such as attention, executive... more The current study verified the association between cognitive process such as attention, executive functioning, and legal capacity in patients with bipolar disorder (BD). The sample consisted of 72 participants, assorted to episodic patients (n= 21), euthymic patients (n= 22), and healthy controls (HCs) (n= 29). We used the following neuropsychological measures: subtests of the Wechsler Abbreviated Intelligence Scale (WASI): vocabulary and matrix reasoning; Continuous Performance Test (CPT); Five Digit Test (FDT); and Rey–Osterrieth Complex Figure (ROCF). Euthymic patients expressed slower processing speed (FDT) compared to HC. They tended to make more errors with slightly worse discrimination, suggesting more impulsiveness (CPT,p< 0.01). On the contrary, episodic patients showed worse discrimination, committed more omissions, were more inconsistent with regard to response speed (CPT-3,p< 0.01), showed more difficulties in organizing their actions (ROCF: copy,p= 0.03), and were...

Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research), May 7, 2016

Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 2017

Results: There was more illness and assortative mating for a mood disorder in both the patient's ... more Results: There was more illness and assortative mating for a mood disorder in both the patient's spouse (31 vs. 9%) and the patient's parents (21 vs. 3%) from the United States compared with Europe. In the parents of the US patients, assortative mating for a mood disorder was associated with more depression, bipolar disorder, alcohol, and other illnesses in the patient's offspring. Conclusions: This two-generation increase in assortative mating in the United States adds to the genetic vulnerability to mental illness in the offspring, further increasing the combined effects of greater amounts of psychosocial stress in the United States. The increases in childhood-onset illness driven by these factors deserve new efforts in research, clinical, and public health attempts to address and ameliorate this most unfortunate situation.

We have included a copy of the SPIRIT checklist. (DOC 119 kb)

Brazilian Journal of Psychiatry, 2020

General Hospital Psychiatry, 2022

Objective The present study aims to investigate the occurrence of psychiatric and cognitive impai... more Objective The present study aims to investigate the occurrence of psychiatric and cognitive impairments in a cohort of survivors of moderate or severe forms of COVID-19. Method 425 adults were assessed 6 to 9 months after hospital discharge with a structured psychiatric interview, psychometric tests and a cognitive battery. A large, multidisciplinary, set of clinical data depicting the acute phase of the disease, along with relevant psychosocial variables, were used to predict psychiatric and cognitive outcomes using the ‘Least Absolute Shrinkage and Selection Operator’ (LASSO) method. Results Diagnoses of ‘depression’, ‘generalized anxiety disorder’ and ‘post-traumatic stress disorder’ were established respectively in 8%, 15.5% and 13.6% of the sample. After pandemic onset (i.e., within the previous year), the prevalence of ‘depression’ and ‘generalized anxiety disorder’ were 2.56% and 8.14%, respectively. Memory decline was subjectively reported by 51.1% of the patients. Psychiatric or cognitive outcomes were not associated with any clinical variables related to the severity of acute-phase disease, nor by disease-related psychosocial stressors. Conclusions This is the first study to access rates of psychiatric and cognitive morbidity in the long-term outcome after moderate or severe forms of COVID-19 using standardized measures. As a key finding, there was no significant association between clinical severity in the acute-phase of SARS-CoV-2 infection and the neuropsychiatric impairment 6 to 9 months thereafter.

Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 2017

Objectives: A few studies have shown cognitive abnormalities in youngsters with anxiety disorders... more Objectives: A few studies have shown cognitive abnormalities in youngsters with anxiety disorders, particularly impairment in attention and memory processes. The aim of this study was to investigate whether planning ability is compromised in children and adolescents with anxiety disorders. Methods: A sample group of 37 children (ages 7-17 years), diagnosed with at least one anxiety disorder [generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), separation anxiety disorder (SAD), and/or social anxiety; study group], and 34 healthy control subjects were evaluated. The following neuropsychological tests were used: 1) the Tower of Hanoi task (ToH) for the assessment of planning ability; 2) speed processing and problem solving; and 3) the Vocabulary and Matrix Reasoning subtests of the Wechsler Abbreviated Scale of Intelligence (WASI) for measures of the estimated IQ in both groups. The groups were compared with a generalized linear model controlling for age, IQ, and ADHD comorbidity. Results: Compared with the control group, subjects with anxiety disorders made more errors (P ¼ 0.006) and required more time (P ¼ 0.001) to complete the ToH task. Conclusions: Findings from this study suggest that subjects with pediatric anxiety disorder have poorer planning ability than healthy control subjects. Poorer planning ability performances seem to be related to attentional control theory, which suggests that anxiety impairs the efficiency of the inhibition and shifting functions.

European Archives of Psychiatry and Clinical Neuroscience, 2021

Recently, much attention has been drawn to the importance of the impact of infectious disease on ... more Recently, much attention has been drawn to the importance of the impact of infectious disease on human cognition. Several theories have been proposed, to explain the cognitive decline following an infection as well as to understand better the pathogenesis of human dementia, especially Alzheimer's disease. This article aims to review the state of the art regarding the knowledge about the impact of acute viral infections on human cognition, laying a foundation to explore the possible cognitive decline followed coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). To reach this goal, we conducted a narrative review systematizing six acute viral infections as well as the current knowledge about COVID-19 and its impact on human cognition. Recent findings suggest probable short-and long-term COVID-19 impacts in cognition, even in asymptomatic individuals, which could be accounted for by direct and indirect pathways to brain dysfunction. Understanding this scenario might help clinicians and health leaders to deal better with a wave of neuropsychiatric issues that may arise following COVID-19 pandemic as well as with other acute viral infections, to alleviate the cognitive sequelae of these infections around the world.

Archives of Clinical Psychiatry (São Paulo), 2020

Background: Schizophrenia is a severe and chronic psychiatric disorder with significant cognitive... more Background: Schizophrenia is a severe and chronic psychiatric disorder with significant cognitive deficits, which are considered structural markers for the disease. Language disturbances have an important role in patients' social functioning and interpersonal relationships. Objectives: Evaluate the capacity to understand pragmatic language in schizophrenic patients, through the comprehension of nonliteral meaning in metaphors and the ability to use contextual clues to better understand their meanings. Methods: Thirty patients were evaluated using Abbreviated Intelligence Scale (WASI), Interpretation of Metaphors subtest of the Montreal Communication Evaluation Battery (MAC). Results: The linear regression model showed that schizophrenic patients presented below average performance in the interpretation of metaphors task, with tendency to concrete interpretations. Variables such as IQ, WASI Vocabulary subtest and years since onset influenced the patients' pragmatic language skills. This relation was not found for family history. Existence of the metaphor in native colloquial language (Portuguese) and being given alternatives to choose from, enhanced patients' performance. Discussion: Results corroborate findings regarding this population's difficulties in the language cognitive domain. Development of interventions aiming comprehension of pragmatic language could help ease patients' social difficulties, especially if started early at onset. Also, better understanding of this deficit can help create rehabilitation strategies.

Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 2020

Journal of Psychiatry and Psychiatric Disorders, 2017

Background: Recent evidence suggests that children and adolescents presenting poor motor skills a... more Background: Recent evidence suggests that children and adolescents presenting poor motor skills are at greater risk of developing internalizing symptoms, emotional/behavioural and externalizing problems. Motor coordination difficulties, as in Developmental Coordination Disorder, co-occurrence with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity and Autism Spectrum Disorders are well documented. Few studies investigated the co-occurrence of motor difficulties and mood, anxiety, psychotic and emerging personality disorders in children and adolescents. Objectives: To investigate whether children presenting psychiatric symptomatology manifest motor coordination difficulties. Methods: 48 children and adolescents in semi-hospitalisation in a psychiatric-day facility were selected during a period of two years and screened according to DSM-5 criteria and a motor coordination assessment battery.

Journal of Child and Family Studies, 2019

Objectives We systematically reviewed controlled studies published in the last 16 years about emo... more Objectives We systematically reviewed controlled studies published in the last 16 years about emotion recognition deficits in maltreated children. Methods A bibliographical research of controlled studies, including only studies with samples larger than 10 participants, from 1998 to 2017, was conducted on Medline, Lilacs, PubMed and ISI. A total of 31 articles were included in this review. Results Abused children have a recognition bias for negative expressions, especially fear and anger. This increased perception tends to impair interpersonal relationships throughout their development. However, it appears as a matter of necessity, related to survival in a hostile environment. Moreover, neglected children have a shorter reaction time for recognition of negative facial expressions. Thus, the consequence of this deficit generates losses, such as the difficulty of ability to perceive a situation that puts them at risk. Conclusions Children victims of severe domestic violence, as well as those who have been sexually abused and neglected, experience a learning situation regarding past experiences. The losses appear both in abnormal anatomical brain and physiological formations, as well as psychological and behavioral changes that impact the lives of these individuals. These changes are associated to changes mainly in circuits related to the prefrontal cortex and limbic regions, which are responsible for regulating the reaction to a threat. Future studies should develop programs, focusing not only in the prevention of adverse family environments and domestic violence, but also in helping these children improve psychosocial adaptation.

Revista Brasileira de Psiquiatria, 2018

Objective: To compare social skills and related executive functions among bipolar disorder (BD) p... more Objective: To compare social skills and related executive functions among bipolar disorder (BD) patients with a family history of mood disorders (FHMD), BD patients with no FHMD and healthy control (HCs). Methods: We evaluated 20 euthymic patients with FHMD, 17 euthymic patients without FHMD, and 31 HCs using the Social Skills Inventory (SSI) and a neuropsychological battery evaluating executive function, inhibitory control, verbal fluency and estimated intelligence. Results: Both BD groups had lower SSI scores than controls. Scores for one subfactor of the social skills questionnaire, conversational skills and social performance, were significantly lower among patients with FHMD than among patients without FHMD (p = 0.019). Both groups of BD patients exhibited significant deficits in initiation/inhibition, but only BD patients with FHMD had deficits in verbal fluency, both compared to HC. There were no associations between social skills questionnaire scores and measures of cognitive function. Conclusion: Euthymic BD patients have lower social skills and executive function performance than HC. The presence of FHMD among BD patients is specifically associated with deficits in conversational and social performance skills, in addition to deficits in verbal fluency. Both characteristics might be associated with a common genetically determined pathophysiological substrate.

Bipolar Disorders, 2019

ObjectivesBipolar disorder is frequently associated with cognitive impairment even during euthymi... more ObjectivesBipolar disorder is frequently associated with cognitive impairment even during euthymia. Previous studies have reported significant impairments in functional and quality of life outcomes and a possible relationship between these variables and cognitive performance. Cognitive rehabilitation interventions have been proposed to address these outcomes but positive results are still scarce. The objective of the present study is to evaluate the efficacy of a new intervention developed to address both cognitive and functional impairment.MethodsThirty‐nine individuals were included in this randomized controlled trial. All participants were evaluated by the Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery (CANTAB) and completed functional and quality of life (QOL) scales. Patients were randomized to either treatment as usual (TAU) or Cognitive Behavior Rehabilitation (CBR), an add‐on treatment delivered in 12 weekly group sessions. All individuals were revaluated after 12 weeks...