from Clark reading

Question 1

Focus on brain mechanisms

Answer 1

• across studies successful treatment with CT has been associated with both increases and decreases in prefrontal metabolism, although (probably operates via change in top-down processes whereas pharmacotherapy leads to symptom reduction via bottom-up processes)
• CT of major depression alters functioning in the dorsolateral, ventrolateral and medial regions of the prefrontal cortex and in the anterior and posterior regions of the cingulate cortex
• These findings are consistent with the view that CT produces symptom reduction primarily through its impact on higher-order executive functions such as problem solving, cognitive reappraisal and self-referential thinking.
• CBT produces depressive symptom reduction via modulation of top-down cognitive processes involved in the encoding and retrieval of negative associative memories, production of rumination, and the overprocessing of irrelevant information.