Theoretical models of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) as well as exposure therapy (EXP) methodology suggest that trauma recall is crucial to altering the conditioned fear response associated with PTSD. However, it is unclear whether limited recall of the trauma event attenuates treatment outcomes. This study examined whether the extent of difficulty recalling aspects of a traumatic event affected fear activation, habituation, number of sessions, session length, and diagnostic outcomes in 166 Operation Enduring Freedom, Operation Iraqi Freedom, and Operation New Dawn veterans. Extent of trauma recall difficulty neither attenuated veterans' ability to achieve fear activation and habituation nor affected treatment outcomes. Findings suggest that even veterans who reported greater difficulty recalling their trauma event can engage successfully and benefit from EXP. This research is the first to examine trauma event recall in the context of the EXP process and contributes to the current body of literature that aims to address the question: “For whom do treatments work?”
Obstructive sleep apnea hypopnea (OSA) is the most common breathing-related sleep disorder and affects more than 20% of older individuals. Furthermore, risk of OSA increases in postmenopausal women. OSA is effectively treated using continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP). However, Mary, a 74-year-old White woman with OSA, severe, refused to obtain a CPAP machine because the sound of the machine elicited memories of her late husband’s suicide. Intervention focused on reducing Mary’s fear of CPAP sounds. Treatment involved imaginal exposure, in vivo exposure, sleep hygiene strategies, and relaxation strategies. Although evidence-based treatments for OSA and trauma separately exist, there are no treatment protocols designed to address the specific combination of the conditions. Treatment gains included a reduction in trauma-related symptoms and an increase in CPAP compliance. Quantity and quality of patient’s sleep did not improve despite sleep hygiene and CPAP use. At 3-week follow-up, treatment gains and CPAP compliance were maintained.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.