Trauma focused psychotherapies from a neurodevelopmental perspective: fMRI and physiological pilot outcome data from a RCT conducted in the Netherlands with children suffering from PTSD

Neurobiological treatment outcome studies in adults with PTSD have shown that successful treatment is associated with changes in activity of frontal brain areas and the amygdala, brain areas which are involved in fear conditioning and extinction. Frontal brain regions undergo considerable maturation during childhood and adolescence and only reach anatomical and functional maturity well within the third decade of life. In this light, results obtained in neurobiological studies in adults can’t be readily translated to children and adolescents. Neurobiological treatment outcome studies in children with PTSD are thus required, yet are almost nonexistent to date. Neurobiological treatment outcome studies addressing the mechanism involved in treatment response or non response can contribute to improve treatment strategies for non responders especially for treatment non responders and in time help clinicians to tailor treatment for individuals with PTSD. In this part of the symposium we will present treatment outcome data of our neurobiological pilot study conducted in children with PTSD in the Netherlands. Children aged 8 to 18 with PTSD were randomly assigned to receive either 8 sessions of manualized Trauma Focus cognitive behavioral therapy or EMDR. fMRI data of a working memory task with emotional distracters and physiological data obtained during script driven imagery will be presented. Treatment outcome results will be placed in a neurodevelopmental framework.

Conference

English

Jasper Zantvoord

Zantvoord, J. (2012, November). Trauma focused psychotherapies from a neurodevelopmental perspective: fMRI and physiological pilot outcome data from a RCT conducted in the Netherlands with children suffering from PTSD. Symposium conducted at the 28th Annual Meeting of the ISTSS, Los Angeles, CA