Neuroimaging in PTSD-Related Psychotherapies

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Abstract

Neuroimaging studies conducted in PTSD patients who have undergone various psychological treatments have provided evidence of modifications in cerebral blood flow (single photon emission computer tomography, SPECT), neuronal volume and density (magnetic resonance imaging, MRI), and, more recently, brain electric signal (electroencephalography, EEG). However, to date the number of such studies is still far too limited since only a few psychotherapies have been investigated using SPECT and MRI. In this respect, a recent study designed to monitor psychotherapy-related neurobiological changes is expected to pave the way for a new concept in PTSD treatment investigations. The purpose of this chapter is to review the results of functional and structural changes being reported in PTSD treatments during the period from 1999 to 2012, to present a critical review and to analyze the reported pathophysiological changes.

Keywords

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Psychological Trauma Ptsd Patient Medial Frontal Gyrus Ptsd Symptom Severity 
These keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.
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Notes

Acknowledgements

The authors wish to thank Mrs Emanuela Enrico for assisting in English editing and EMDR Italy and the Departments of Nuclear Medicine, Karolinska Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden, and of Systems Medicine, University of Rome “Tor Vergata,” Rome, Italy, for the valuable collaboration in our previous studies.

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Copyright information

© Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2014

Authors and Affiliations

  1. 1.Institute of Cognitive Sciences and Technologies, CNRRomeItaly
  2. 2.Department of Nuclear MedicineKarolinska HospitalStockholmSweden
  3. 3.Department of Mental Health, “San Luigi Gonzaga” Hospital Medical SchoolUniversity of TurinTurinItaly
  4. 4.Department of Translational Medicine“Amedeo Avogadro” University of Eastern PiedmontNovaraItaly

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