Effects of psychotherapy on regional cerebral blood flow during trauma imagery in patients with post-traumatic stress disorder: a randomized clinical trial

R. J. L. Lindauer; J. Booij; J. B. A. Habraken; E. P. M. van Meijel; H. B. M. Uylings; M. Olff; I. V. E. Carlier; G. J. den Heeten; B. L. F. van Eck-Smit; B. P. R. Gersons

doi:https://doi.org/10.1017/S0033291707001432

Effects of psychotherapy on regional cerebral blood flow during trauma imagery in patients with post-traumatic stress disorder: a randomized clinical trial

R. J. L. Lindauer, J. Booij, J. B. A. Habraken, E. P. M. van Meijel, H. B. M. Uylings, M. Olff, I. V. E. Carlier, G. J. den Heeten, B. L. F. van Eck-Smit, B. P. R. Gersons

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Academic › peer-review

102 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Functional brain-imaging studies in post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) have suggested functional alterations in temporal and prefrontal cortical regions. Effects of psychotherapy on these brain regions have not yet been examined.METHOD: Twenty civilian PTSD out-patients and 15 traumatized control subjects were assessed at baseline using psychometric ratings. Cerebral blood flow was measured using trauma script-driven imagery during 99mtechnetium hexamethyl-propylene-amine-oxime single-photon emission computed tomography scanning. All 20 out-patients were randomly assigned to treatment or wait-list conditions. Treatment was brief eclectic psychotherapy (BEP) in 16 weekly individual sessions. RESULTS: At baseline, greater activation was found in the right insula and right superior/middle frontal gyrus in the PTSD group than in the control group. PTSD patients treated with BEP significantly improved on all PTSD symptom clusters compared to those on the waiting list. After effective psychotherapy, lower activation was measured in the right middle frontal gyrus, compared to the PTSD patients on the waiting list. Treatment effects on PTSD symptoms correlated positively with activation in the left superior temporal gyrus, and superior/middle frontal gyrus. CONCLUSIONS: BEP induced clinical recovery in PTSD patients, and appeared to modulate the functioning of specific PTSD-related sites in the prefrontal cortical regions

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	543-554
Journal	Psychological Medicine
Volume	38
Issue number	4
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1017/S0033291707001432
Publication status	Published - 2008

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Lindauer, R. J. L., Booij, J., Habraken, J. B. A., van Meijel, E. P. M., Uylings, H. B. M., Olff, M., Carlier, I. V. E., den Heeten, G. J., van Eck-Smit, B. L. F., & Gersons, B. P. R. (2008). Effects of psychotherapy on regional cerebral blood flow during trauma imagery in patients with post-traumatic stress disorder: a randomized clinical trial. Psychological Medicine, 38(4), 543-554. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0033291707001432

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title = "Effects of psychotherapy on regional cerebral blood flow during trauma imagery in patients with post-traumatic stress disorder: a randomized clinical trial",

abstract = "BACKGROUND: Functional brain-imaging studies in post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) have suggested functional alterations in temporal and prefrontal cortical regions. Effects of psychotherapy on these brain regions have not yet been examined.METHOD: Twenty civilian PTSD out-patients and 15 traumatized control subjects were assessed at baseline using psychometric ratings. Cerebral blood flow was measured using trauma script-driven imagery during 99mtechnetium hexamethyl-propylene-amine-oxime single-photon emission computed tomography scanning. All 20 out-patients were randomly assigned to treatment or wait-list conditions. Treatment was brief eclectic psychotherapy (BEP) in 16 weekly individual sessions. RESULTS: At baseline, greater activation was found in the right insula and right superior/middle frontal gyrus in the PTSD group than in the control group. PTSD patients treated with BEP significantly improved on all PTSD symptom clusters compared to those on the waiting list. After effective psychotherapy, lower activation was measured in the right middle frontal gyrus, compared to the PTSD patients on the waiting list. Treatment effects on PTSD symptoms correlated positively with activation in the left superior temporal gyrus, and superior/middle frontal gyrus. CONCLUSIONS: BEP induced clinical recovery in PTSD patients, and appeared to modulate the functioning of specific PTSD-related sites in the prefrontal cortical regions",

author = "Lindauer, {R. J. L.} and J. Booij and Habraken, {J. B. A.} and {van Meijel}, {E. P. M.} and Uylings, {H. B. M.} and M. Olff and Carlier, {I. V. E.} and {den Heeten}, {G. J.} and {van Eck-Smit}, {B. L. F.} and Gersons, {B. P. R.}",

year = "2008",

doi = "https://doi.org/10.1017/S0033291707001432",

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pages = "543--554",

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issn = "0033-2917",

publisher = "Cambridge University Press",

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Lindauer, RJL , Booij, J, Habraken, JBA, van Meijel, EPM, Uylings, HBM , Olff, M, Carlier, IVE, den Heeten, GJ, van Eck-Smit, BLF & Gersons, BPR 2008, 'Effects of psychotherapy on regional cerebral blood flow during trauma imagery in patients with post-traumatic stress disorder: a randomized clinical trial', Psychological Medicine, vol. 38, no. 4, pp. 543-554. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0033291707001432

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T1 - Effects of psychotherapy on regional cerebral blood flow during trauma imagery in patients with post-traumatic stress disorder: a randomized clinical trial

AU - Lindauer, R. J. L.

AU - Booij, J.

AU - Habraken, J. B. A.

AU - van Meijel, E. P. M.

AU - Uylings, H. B. M.

AU - Olff, M.

AU - Carlier, I. V. E.

AU - den Heeten, G. J.

AU - van Eck-Smit, B. L. F.

AU - Gersons, B. P. R.

PY - 2008

Y1 - 2008

N2 - BACKGROUND: Functional brain-imaging studies in post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) have suggested functional alterations in temporal and prefrontal cortical regions. Effects of psychotherapy on these brain regions have not yet been examined.METHOD: Twenty civilian PTSD out-patients and 15 traumatized control subjects were assessed at baseline using psychometric ratings. Cerebral blood flow was measured using trauma script-driven imagery during 99mtechnetium hexamethyl-propylene-amine-oxime single-photon emission computed tomography scanning. All 20 out-patients were randomly assigned to treatment or wait-list conditions. Treatment was brief eclectic psychotherapy (BEP) in 16 weekly individual sessions. RESULTS: At baseline, greater activation was found in the right insula and right superior/middle frontal gyrus in the PTSD group than in the control group. PTSD patients treated with BEP significantly improved on all PTSD symptom clusters compared to those on the waiting list. After effective psychotherapy, lower activation was measured in the right middle frontal gyrus, compared to the PTSD patients on the waiting list. Treatment effects on PTSD symptoms correlated positively with activation in the left superior temporal gyrus, and superior/middle frontal gyrus. CONCLUSIONS: BEP induced clinical recovery in PTSD patients, and appeared to modulate the functioning of specific PTSD-related sites in the prefrontal cortical regions

AB - BACKGROUND: Functional brain-imaging studies in post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) have suggested functional alterations in temporal and prefrontal cortical regions. Effects of psychotherapy on these brain regions have not yet been examined.METHOD: Twenty civilian PTSD out-patients and 15 traumatized control subjects were assessed at baseline using psychometric ratings. Cerebral blood flow was measured using trauma script-driven imagery during 99mtechnetium hexamethyl-propylene-amine-oxime single-photon emission computed tomography scanning. All 20 out-patients were randomly assigned to treatment or wait-list conditions. Treatment was brief eclectic psychotherapy (BEP) in 16 weekly individual sessions. RESULTS: At baseline, greater activation was found in the right insula and right superior/middle frontal gyrus in the PTSD group than in the control group. PTSD patients treated with BEP significantly improved on all PTSD symptom clusters compared to those on the waiting list. After effective psychotherapy, lower activation was measured in the right middle frontal gyrus, compared to the PTSD patients on the waiting list. Treatment effects on PTSD symptoms correlated positively with activation in the left superior temporal gyrus, and superior/middle frontal gyrus. CONCLUSIONS: BEP induced clinical recovery in PTSD patients, and appeared to modulate the functioning of specific PTSD-related sites in the prefrontal cortical regions

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DO - https://doi.org/10.1017/S0033291707001432

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SN - 0033-2917

VL - 38

SP - 543

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JO - Psychological Medicine

JF - Psychological Medicine

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