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Clinicians wonder how psychotherapy affects the brain, how different people respond to psychotherapy, and whether brain measures might forecast psychotherapy outcomes and improve treatment assignments. To address these issues, investigators conducted imaging studies of 66 patients with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD; about 65% women) randomized to prolonged exposure therapy or a waitlist. Imaging occurred at both prerandomization and posttreatment, with the second scan occurring about 4 weeks after treatment (comparably elapsed time for controls).
PTSD was typically attributed to physical or sexual assault, illness, or injury. While undergoing functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), participants engaged in emotional-reactivity an…