Neuroimaging for psychotherapy research: Current trends

Abstract

Objective This article reviews neuroimaging studies that inform psychotherapy research. An introduction to neuroimaging methods is provided as background for the increasingly sophisticated breadth of methods and findings appearing in psychotherapy research. Method We compiled and assessed a comprehensive list of neuroimaging studies of psychotherapy outcome, along with selected examples of other types of studies that also are relevant to psychotherapy research. We emphasized magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) since it is the dominant neuroimaging modality in psychological research. Results We summarize findings from neuroimaging studies of psychotherapy outcome, including treatment for depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), and schizophrenia. Conclusions The increasing use of neuroimaging methods in the study of psychotherapy continues to refine our understanding of both outcome and process. We suggest possible directions for future neuroimaging studies in psychotherapy research.

How treatment affects the brain: meta-analysis evidence of neural substrates underpinning drug therapy and psychotherapy in major depression

“…In the last 20 years the advent of new neuroimaging techniques (i.e., positron emission tomography (PET) and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI)) has permitted researchers to observe the brain at work. Indeed, researchers have systematically investigated the neural modifications induced by psychotherapy, thus laying the foundations for the biological hypothesis of psychotherapy (review in Weingarten and Strauman 2014).…”

Psychotherapy in Contemporary Psychiatric Practice

“…37 Luhrmann's 37 extensive ethnography of American psychiatry in the 1990s offers a rich description of how the erosion of psychotherapy in psychiatry related, at least in part, to its increasing allegiance to the neurosciences and psychopharmacology. However, in light of a growing body of research on the neurobiology of psychotherapy, [38][39][40] dualist views on medications and psychotherapy-that the former are biologically based, while the latter only have psychological effects-are no longer tenable. Psychiatrists in British Columbia continue to integrate psychotherapy and pharmacotherapy in clinical practice, and we anticipate that this integration will increasingly be informed by developments in social neuroscience, especially among many recent graduates whose interest in psychotherapy may have little to do with eschewing biological approaches.…”

Cognitive-behavioral therapy for schizophrenia: an overview on efficacy, recent trends and neurobiological findings

“…94 The identification of CBT specific biomarkers can have significant clinical usefulness, allowing researchers and therapists to select personalized and individualized treatment which guarantee maximum effectiveness. 74 The population of patients within the spectrum of schizophrenic disorders is hugely heterogeneous and the magnitude of CBT treatment effects may vary widely in different patient subgroups, probably explaining why several meta-analysis regarding CBT efficacy on schizophrenia only reported small to moderate effects. Future studies may explore how neurostructural, neurofunctional and neuromolecular predictors relate with the clinical characteristics and backgrounds of patients (e.g.…”

“…Furthermore, the reported functional connectivity study suggests these Cognitive-behavioral therapy for schizophrenia Candida M changes are related to improved top-down regulation mechanisms between prefrontal regions and structures related to emotional processing. A critical review by Weingarten et al 74 states that there is a significant amount of evidence suggesting that psychotherapy effects include modulation of brain connectivity networks. Thereby, these first findings regarding CBT induced changes in brain connectivity provide valuable evidence which can complement the typical measured behavioral or brain regions outcomes.…”

“…structure; (b) the identification of brain-based predictors of psychotherapy response, investigating correlations between pretreatment brain measurements and posttreatment clinical outcomes. 74 Most studies regarding CBT for schizophrenia have actually explored how neuroimaging measurements can predict CBT efficacy for these patients.…”