A cognitive neuroscience account of posttraumatic stress disorder and its treatment
Abstract
Recent research in the areas of animal conditioning, the neural systems underlying emotion and memory, and the effect of fear on these systems is reviewed. This evidence points to an important distinction between hippocampally-dependent and non-hippocampally-dependent forms of memory that are differentially affected by extreme stress. The cognitive science perspective is related to a recent model of posttraumatic stress disorder, dual representation theory, that also posits separate memory systems underlying vivid reexperiencing versus ordinary autobiographical memories of trauma. This view is compared with other accounts in the literature of traumatic memory processes in PTSD, and the contrasting implications for therapy are discussed.
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If trauma memories are represented differently from other memories because of dissociative encoding, then more robust findings linking dissociation and fragmentation across measures and constructs would be expected.
“If, as suggested by some fragmentation-focused theories (e.g., Brewin, 2001; van der Kolk,1987), trauma memories are represented differently than other types of memories due to dissociative encoding then we might expect more robust findings regarding dissociation and fragmentation across measures and constructs.”
From Dissociation and memory fragmentation in post-traumatic stress disorder: An evaluation of the dissociative encoding hypothesis (2012) · cites this paper as Brewin, 2001
Dissociation and memory fragmentation figure prominently in several current theories of PTSD.
“As discussed, dissociation and memory fragmentation figure prominently into several current theories of PTSD (e.g., Brewin, 2001; Ehlers & Clark, 2000; Foa, 1997; van der Kolk, 1987).”
From Dissociation and memory fragmentation in post-traumatic stress disorder: An evaluation of the dissociative encoding hypothesis (2012) · cites this paper as Brewin, 2001
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- Authors
- Brewin, C. R.
- Affiliations
- University College London (GB)
- Corresponding author
- Brewin, Chris R.
- ORCID
- Brewin, Chris R.
- Venue
- Behaviour Research and Therapy
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2001-04
- Volume
- 39
- Issue
- 4
- Pages
- 373-393
- ISSN
- 0005-7967 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2029554675
- Cited by
- 588
- References
- 13
- Citations by year
- 2026: 7 · 2025: 14 · 2024: 15 · 2023: 21 · 2022: 15 · 2021: 15 · 2020: 11 · 2019: 32 · 2018: 20 · 2017: 24 · 2016: 22 · 2015: 33 · 2014: 26 · 2013: 23 · 2012: 27
- FWCI
- 29.30
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Behaviour Research and Therapy (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- UCL Discovery (University College London) (submittedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Research
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Memory Processes and Influences
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Memory and Neural Mechanisms
- Keywords
- post-traumatic stress disorder, hippocampal-dependent memory, traumatic memory, fear, emotion and memory, re-experiencing, autobiographical memory, animal conditioning, PTSD treatment
- MeSH terms
- Animals, Fear, Hippocampus, Humans, Memory, Models, Psychological, Neural Pathways, Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic, Stress, Psychological, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Cognitive Science
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