Brain connectivity may determine PTSD patients’ response to behavioral therapy

Psychotherapy is the standard treatment for PTSD, but distinct patterns of brain connectivity may explain why it’s not effective for some patients. In a new study, researchers compared verbal memory skills and brain scans of 153 healthy controls with 204 patients with PTSD — 128 of whom were combat veterans. In the PTSD group, some had difficulty with the memory test, some had scans revealing poor connectivity in an area of the brain that regulates attention to stimuli, and others displayed both characteristics. Those with only one of the symptoms were more responsive to psychotherapy than patients who showed both memory problems and abnormal brain connectivity. However, the authors write that more work is needed to identify the relationship between the two symptoms.