Selective Effects of Psychotherapy on Frontopolar Cortical Function in PTSD.

ABSTRACT:

Objective

Exposure therapy is an effective treatment for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), but a comprehensive, emotion-focused perspective on how psychotherapy affects brain function is lacking. The authors assessed changes in brain function after prolonged exposure therapy across three emotional reactivity and regulation paradigms.

Method

Individuals with PTSD underwent functional MRI (fMRI) at rest and while completing three tasks assessing emotional reactivity and regulation. Individuals were then randomly assigned to immediate prolonged exposure treatment (N=36) or a waiting list condition (N=30) and underwent a second scan approximately 4 weeks after the last treatment session or a comparable waiting period, respectively.

Results

Treatment-specific changes w

SUBMITTER: Fonzo GA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5711612 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature