SINGAPORE: According to the Institute of Mental Health (IMH), elderly schizophrenics can improve their cognitive capabilities just by going through four months of therapy.

The IMH's Reality Orientation Programme, which started two years ago, was formulated to help elderly schizophrenic patients with mild cognitive impairments.

The therapy involved playing simple memory games with everyday objects.

After four months, patients who had gone through the programme showed a 10 percent improvement in cognitive functions, while patients who were not in therapy showed a 10 percent deterioration in such functions.

The institute said it would continue with the programme to help these patients.


- CNA/so