The Effects of Trauma-focused Psychotherapy on Reward Circuitry Function and Information Encoding
University of Texas at Austin
Summary
The purpose of this study is to identify how trauma-focused psychotherapy changes the function of brain circuitry in posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and how this mediates improvements in the diminished ability to experience positive emotions following a traumatic or extremely stressful life event. In this instance, the investigators will be using cognitive processing therapy (CPT), a widely-utilized and evidence-based treatment for PTSD.
Description
The goals of the study are as follows: 1. Quantify, under conditions of safety (no threat), how PTSD psychotherapy alters reward circuit function and information encoding. 2. Identify how presence of threat augments PTSD psychotherapy effects on reward circuit function and information encoding. 3. (Exploratory). Identify how, following psychotherapy, changes in reward circuit function and information encoding under conditions of safety and threat are associated with improvements in symptoms of diminished positive affect (DimPA). To accomplish the goals of the study, the investigators propose…
Eligibility
- Age range
- 18–65 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- No
Inclusion Criteria: * English as primary language, and comprehension suitable to understand experimenter instructions. * Current and chronic syndromic PTSD, defined as being exposed to a DSM-5 Criterion A traumatic event, with the presence DSM-5 qualifying PTSD symptoms for at least 3 months, as assessed by the Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale for DSM-5. * Able and willing to undergo functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). * Willingness to participate in repeated assessments and as part of a delayed treatment group. Exclusion Criteria: * Evidence of current or prior history of psycho…
Interventions
- BehavioralCognitive Processing Therapy
Cognitive processing therapy is a widely-utilized, empirically-supported treatment developed for PTSD. It is based on a cognitive theory of trauma which emphasizes the impact of trauma on belief systems and the development of "stuck points", which are unhealthy, unrealistic, and maladaptive ways of thinking that serve to maintain unhealthy beliefs and reinforce PTSD symptoms.
Location
- Health Discovery Building (HDB), 1601 Trinity St., Bldg B., Z0600Austin, Texas