LVR-Klinikum Düsseldorf Hospital of the Heinrich-Heine University ...

Cognitive behaviour therapy for the treatment of
negative symptoms in schizophrenia (TONES)
Participation in the homonymous, multi-centric project
(Principal investigator: S. Klingberg, University of Tübingen)
W. Wölwer, N. Frommann, S. Halfmann, M. Memmou,
M. Weickert
Project period: 2005–2009
Financing: DFG funding KL 1179/3-1 to Klingberg, Tübingen
Since to date negative symptoms in schizophrenia often
cannot be satisfactorily treated with the available drug
and psychotherapeutic strategies, this project investigates
whether these symptoms can be reduced by means of a
cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT) specifically adjusted to
meet the needs of such patients. A newly designed variant of
CBT was compared with a cognitive remediation treatment
over 20 sessions, distributed over 9 months of treatment,
within the context of a controlled randomised clinical trial in
198 patients. In 2008, full recruitment of 66 patients at each
of the three participating centres (the University Psychiatry
Departments of Tübingen, Düsseldorf and Frankfurt)
could be achieved and the nine-month treatment could be
concluded in almost all patients. The project is currently in
the phase of statistical analysis.
Cognitive behaviour therapy in the treatment of positive
symptoms in psychotic disorders (POSITIVE)
Participation in the homonymous, multi-centre project
within the POSITIVE Psychotherapy Research Network
(Principal investigator: S. Klingberg, University of Tübingen)
W. Wölwer, S. Kiszkenow, A. Witt, S. Beulen
Project period: 2006–2010
Financing: FMER funding 01 GV 0618
to S. Klingberg, Tübingen
New psychotherapy research – particularly from the UK –
provides evidence that cognitive behavioural therapy can be
used successfully to reduce previously persistent symptoms.
This project, in addition to replicating such findings in the
German language area, aims to provide an explanation of the
mechanisms of effect. According to current psychological
models relating to the development and persistence of
psychotic symptoms, these mechanisms include, amongst
other things, a change of defined cognitive biases and are
not only be based on unspecific factors that do not depend
on treatment forms. To shed light on this question, the effect
of cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) versus supportive
therapy (ST) on psychopathological symptoms and
neuropsychological indicators of cognitive biases is being
investigated in a multi-centre, randomised, controlled study.
A total of 163 patients will be included in each treatment
condition, which comprises 20 sessions of 50 minutes in an
outpatient setting over a period of nine months. Follow-up
ReseaRch
assessments will be carried out four times over two years to
check the stability of the achieved effects. By the end of 2009,
326 of the total planned recruitment number of 330 patients
had been included into the study.
Threat-sensitivity in patients with psychotic disorders:
behaviour indicators and neuronal correlates
Sub-project of the studies “Cognitive biases as a basis for
delusion symptoms and their alteration with a cognitive
behavioural therapy in patients with psychotic disorders”
(Principal investigator: W. Wagner, University of Bonn) and
“Multi-centre fMRT-study of the neuronal correlates of a
cognitive behavioural therapy in patients with psychotic
disorders” (Principal investigator: T. Kircher, RWTH Aachen/
University of Marburg) within the POSITIVE Psychotherapy
Research Network
W. Wölwer, J. Brinkmeyer, S. Kiszkenow in cooperation with
the Neuropsychiatry Research Laboratory (G. Winterer) and
the Department for Neuroradiology
Project period: 2006–2010
Financing: FMER funding to M. Wagner, Bonn
and T. Kircher, Aachen/Marburg
This project addresses the higher sensitivity for threatening
stimuli in psychotic disorders with symptoms of delusion,
as supposed in the literature, and the neurobiological basis
of this cognitive bias. An increased sensitivity to being
threatened is part of the cognitive biases that contribute to
the current psychological models for the development and
persistence of psychotic symptoms. A paradigm, developed
in our research laboratory, for assessing the sensitivity to
being threatened is being used in the neuropsychological
sub-project being carried out at all centres and with all
patients in the previously described clinical psychotherapy
trial. In addition, the paradigm is also being used during
an fMRI assessment of selected study patients of the LVR-
Klinikum.
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