Enhancing Memory in Cognitive Processing Therapy for PTSD

Several psychotherapies for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) have a strong evidence base for their efficacy, but nonresponse rates are high, particularly among older Veterans. Accumulating evidence indicates that memory deficits and poor learning of therapy contents adversely affect psychotherapy treatment response in PTSD. However, limited research has examined methods for increasing learning of therapy contents in psychotherapy for PTSD. The proposed study aims to examine the feasibility of integrating an intervention to increase learning and memory of psychotherapy content into the provision of a widely used psychotherapy, cognitive processing therapy (CPT), for older adults with PTSD. The ultimate goal of this line of research is to develop novel rehabilitation interventions to increase functioning for individuals with PTSD.