Related Experiment Video
Updated: Mar 8, 2026
08:20
Simultaneous Application of Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation during Virtual Reality Exposure
Published on: January 18, 2021
4.6K
Verbal memory functioning moderates psychotherapy treatment response for PTSD-Related nightmares
J Cobb Scott1, Gerlinde Harb2, Janeese A Brownlow1
1VISN4 Mental Illness Research, Education, and Clinical Center, Corporal Michael J. Crescenz VA Medical Center, 3900 Woodland Ave, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, 3400 Spruce St, 10 Gates, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.
Behaviour Research and Therapy
|January 23, 2017
Summary
Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) sleep issues may be less effective for individuals with poor verbal memory. Traumatic brain injury (TBI) impacts symptoms but not treatment response trajectories.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Psychiatry
- Cognitive Psychology
Background:
- Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is linked to cognitive impairments affecting attention, executive function, and memory.
- The impact of these cognitive deficits on treatment outcomes for PTSD is not well understood.
- Sleep disturbances, including nightmares, are common in PTSD and often targeted by treatments like cognitive-behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I).
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between cognitive functioning, history of traumatic brain injury (TBI), and treatment response to CBT for PTSD-related sleep problems.
- To determine if cognitive deficits predict differential outcomes in interventions for recurrent nightmares in veterans with PTSD.
Main Methods:
- A randomized controlled trial comparing Imagery Rehearsal plus components of CBT for Insomnia (IR + cCBT-I) to cCBT-I alone for PTSD-related nightmares.
- 94 U.S. veterans with PTSD completed cognitive tests and a structured clinical interview for TBI history.
- Mixed-effects models analyzed cognitive functioning and TBI effects on sleep and nightmare outcomes over time.
Main Results:
- Significant interactions between verbal immediate memory and time were observed for nightmare distress, frequency, and sleep quality, indicating poorer response in those with lower verbal memory.
- These memory effects persisted even after controlling for overall cognitive performance and depression.
- Traumatic brain injury (TBI) showed main effects on outcomes, but no interaction with time, suggesting TBI influences symptom severity but not the trajectory of treatment response.
Conclusions:
- Lower verbal memory performance is associated with a reduced likelihood of responding to sleep interventions for PTSD.
- While TBI affects PTSD symptom severity, it does not appear to alter the course of treatment response in these interventions.
- Verbal memory functioning is a critical factor to consider when implementing and tailoring PTSD treatments.
Keywords:
Imagery rehearsal therapyInsomniaMemoryNeuropsychologyNightmaresPosttraumatic stress disorderPsychotherapySleepMore Related Videos
10:43Developing Neuroimaging Phenotypes of the Default Mode Network in PTSD: Integrating the Resting State, Working Memory, and Structural Connectivity
Published on: July 1, 2014
15.9K
08:32Disrupting Reconsolidation of Fear Memory in Humans by a Noradrenergic β-Blocker
Published on: December 18, 2014
23.5K
Related Concept Videos
01:18Nightmares and Night Terrors
679
Nightmares and night terrors represent two distinct types of sleep disturbances that differ in timing, characteristics, and the sleeper's recall of the event. Nightmares are vivid, disturbing dreams that usually awaken the sleeper from REM sleep, a stage of sleep where brain activity is high, and dreams are most frequent. Upon awakening, individuals often have detailed recollections of their nightmares, which can include themes of threats to survival, security, or self-esteem.
Nightmares...
Nightmares...
679
01:29Psychodynamic Therapy
775
Psychodynamic therapies emphasize the exploration of unconscious processes and early childhood experiences as fundamental contributors to psychological difficulties. These therapies, deeply rooted in Freud's psychoanalytic theory, aim to uncover and resolve unconscious conflicts, granting individuals insights that promote emotional and behavioral healing. Contemporary psychodynamic approaches have evolved, integrating a broader range of influences and methodologies while still valuing the...
775
01:27Post-traumatic Stress Disorder
715
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a psychiatric condition that arises following exposure to traumatic events such as natural disasters, forced displacement, or severe accidents. It significantly impairs individuals' ability to cope with daily activities and disrupts their emotional and psychological equilibrium.
Symptoms and Behavioral Manifestations
A spectrum of distressing symptoms characterizes PTSD. Recurrent flashbacks, where individuals involuntarily relive traumatic events,...
Symptoms and Behavioral Manifestations
A spectrum of distressing symptoms characterizes PTSD. Recurrent flashbacks, where individuals involuntarily relive traumatic events,...
715
01:20Traumatic Memory
651
Emotionally traumatic events often lead to memories that are exceptionally vivid and enduring, sometimes persisting with remarkable clarity throughout an individual's life. A classic example of this phenomenon is a person who survives a car accident. Even years later, they may recall every detail of the event with startling accuracy — the screeching of the tires, the jarring impact, and the acrid smell of burning rubber. Such vividness contrasts sharply with how an individual...
651
01:22Behavior Therapy
867
Behavior therapy incorporates diverse techniques rooted in classical conditioning principles to address maladaptive behaviors and anxiety disorders. These methods aim to reduce avoidance behaviors, foster adaptive coping mechanisms, and alter associations between stimuli and responses, making them effective in a wide range of therapeutic contexts.
Exposure therapy is a cornerstone of behavioral treatment for anxiety disorders. It involves systematic exposure to feared stimuli, either in real...
Exposure therapy is a cornerstone of behavioral treatment for anxiety disorders. It involves systematic exposure to feared stimuli, either in real...
867
01:16Repressed Memory
580
Repressed memories are a psychological phenomenon where memories of traumatic events are unconsciously blocked from a person's awareness. This process occurs as a defense mechanism, protecting the mind from the emotional impact of distressing or painful experiences. For example, a person who has experienced childhood trauma may grow up with no conscious recollection of the event. In such cases, the memories are thought to be buried deep within the subconscious, inaccessible to the conscious...
580