Auditory perception training program in people with schizophrenia

INTERVENTION: The training program "Voices" was designed by the initial selection of 100 simple phrases of neutral content. 34 of them contain two answer options in which two simple emotions are expressed, 33 of them contain three options with simple and complex emotions and the last 34 contain a selection of answers in which four complex emotions are expressed. These phrases are later recorded by professional actors based on the emotion prompted. A Microsoft Powerpoint® presentation wass created to include these audio recordings and the corresponding answer options. Next, the programme was tested with 20 independent testers (11 women and 9 men) and 82 phrases have been extracted and deemed valid (with over 70% agreement among testers). The new version was applied to a sample of 164 healthy control subjects, recruited in the faculty of Medicine at the University of Santiago de Compostela (with 101 women and 63 men, aged 19 – 44 years). On this occasion, answer time wass limited to 10 seconds per question. The test duration was approximately 14 minutes. On this occasion, 63 phrases were selected, which achieved a majority agreement of 79.9%. This definitive selection that defines the Voices programme has been uploaded to a software platform suitable for patient use (e‐Motional Training®), in which a personal user account and password are created. In the "Voices" programme, the various phrases are shown randomly, with the goal of selecting the correct answer of the two, three, or four options. In this selection, there is no set time limit to answer, and there exists the possibility to repeat the audio fragment. At the end of the game, points are registered and compared with the score obtained in previous games. Participants are randomly allocated to one of two groups. In the intervention group, participants complete prosodic training, during a period of four weeks, two sessions of 30 minutes twice a week. The control group does not receive any specific training. All participa CONDITION: Schizophrenia ; Mental and Behavioural Disorders ; Schizophrenia PRIMARY OUTCOME: Prosodic level is measured using the Spanish version of the Reading Mind in the Voices" programme at baseline and one month after the intervention. SECONDARY OUTCOME: 1. Severity of the schizophrenia is measured using the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) at baseline and one month; 2. Verbal and non‐verbal knowledge is measured using the Intelligence Test (K‐BIT) at baseline and one month INCLUSION CRITERIA: 1. Capacity to consent 2. Given willing consent to participate in the study, after being informed of the objectives of the study 3. Diagnosed with Schizophrenia or Schizoaffective Disorder according to the DSM‐5 criteria 4. Enrolled, at the time of the study, in Psychiatric Services 5. Receiving neuroleptic pharmacological treatment 6. Within the age range of 18 ‐ 60 years old at the time of participation in the therapy program