In amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI), neuroinflammation evolves during disease progression, affecting microglial function and potentially accelerating the pathological process. Currently, no effective treatment exists, leading to explorations of various symptomatic approaches, though few target the underlying physiological mechanisms. Modulating inflammatory processes may be critical in slowing disease progression. Cognitive stimulation (CS) and transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) applied to the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (l-DLPFC) show promise, but the results are heterogeneous. Thus, a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial is currently underway. The first-stage results were examined after three weeks of intervention in two groups: active tDCS combined with CS and sham tDCS combined with CS. Twenty-two participants underwent two assessments: T0 (baseline) and T1 (after 15 sessions of tDCS, active or sham, and 9 sessions of CS). The results demonstrated that CS improved cognition, increased brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) levels, and reduced peripheral proinflammatory cytokine levels (interleukin IL-6 and chemokine CX3CL1) in serum. This decrease in IL-6 may promote microglial proliferation and survival as a modulatory effect response, while the increase in BDNF might suggest a regulatory mechanism in microglia–neuron interaction responses. However, tDCS did not enhance the cognitive or modulatory effects of CS, suggesting that longer interventions might be required to achieve substantial benefits.

To date, many interventions for social cognition have been developed. Nevertheless, the use of social cognition training with virtual reality (SCT-VR) in schizophrenia is a recent field of study. Therefore, a scoping review is a suitable method to examine the extent of existing literature, the characteristics of the studies, and the SCT-VR. Additionally, it allows us to summarize findings from a heterogeneous body of knowledge and identify gaps in the literature favoring the planning and conduct of future research. The aim of this review was to explore and describe the characteristics of SCT-VR in schizophrenia. The searched databases were MEDLINE, PsycInfo, Web of Science, and CINAHL. This scoping review considered experimental, quasi-experimental, analytical observational and descriptive observational study designs. The full text of selected citations was assessed by two independent reviewers. Data were extracted from papers included in the scoping review by two independent reviewers. We identified 1,407 records. A total of twelve studies were included for analyses. Study designs were variable, most research was proof-of-concept or pilot studies. Most SCT-VR were immersive and targeted interventions. Number of sessions ranged from 9 to 16, and the duration of each session ranged from 45 to 120 min. Some studies reported a significant improvement in emotion recognition and/or theory of mind. However, SCT-VR is a recent research field in which the heterogeneity in methodological approaches is evident and has prevented the reaching of robust conclusions. Preliminary evidence has shown that SCT-VR could represent a feasible and promising approach for improving SC deficits in schizophrenia.