Computerized Brain Training Exercises for Children at High Risk for Developing Serious Mental Illness

Hofstra University professor Dr. Barbara Cornblatt is studying innovative treatment that combines computerized brain training exercises resembling popular video games and intensive ‘talk therapy’ (CBT) to address depression, anxiety, goal setting, social skills, and problem-solving.

AIM has provided seed funding of $60,000 for a one-year pilot study.

Dr. Cornblatt teaches Psychiatry and Molecular Medicine and is the Director of  the Recognition and Prevention (RAP) Program at Hofstra’s Northwell School of Medicine.

Her study enrolls 20 teens aged 13-18 who are displaying mild depression, anxiety, and social challenges but are at high risk for developing serious mental illness, such as schizophrenia and psychosis. She predicts that the treatment combination being tested  will significantly improve social interactions and reduce anxiety and depression, thereby reducing the chances that a severe mental illness will develop.

Learn more about Dr. Cornblatt and her work here.