Neuroimaging studies of psychological interventions for mood and anxiety disorders: empirical and methodological...

This article reviews the methods and results of published neuroimaging studies of the effects of structured psychological interventions for mood and anxiety disorders. The results are consistent with neural models of improved affective- and self-regulation, as evidenced by psychotherapeutic modulation of brain metabolic activity within the dorsolateral, ventrolateral, and medial prefrontal cortices, the anterior cingulate, the posterior cingulate/precuneus, and the insular cortices. Specific recommendations for future studies are outlined, and the clinical and theoretical significance of this research is discussed.