Change of Neural Network Indicators Through Narrative Treatment of PTSD in Torture Victims

Change of Neural Network Indicators Through Narrative Treatment of PTSD in Torture Victims

Effective Treatment of PTSD involves talking about the traumatic event in detail.It is unclear how this process influences the sensory-specific trauma network (fear structure)in the traumatized person. The goal of the project is to test the hypothesis that treatment-facilitated recovery does not change the original fear structure but establishes an inhibitory mechanism that depends on verbal activity. An affective visual steady-state paradigm in magnetencephalography (MEG) using positive, aversive and neutral picture stimuli will be used to examine the spatial and temporal pattern of the processing of emotional stimuli. To examine the effects of treatment this paradigm will be used as outcome measure within a randomized controlled trial of Narrative Exposure Therapy and a waiting-list control condition for severely traumatized torture victims.

Inclusion Criteria:

• experiences of organized violence/torture
• PTSD diagnosis

Exclusion Criteria:

• psychotic disorder
• neurological disease or seizures
• current drug/alcohol abuse