Treatment for traumatic memories: review and recommendations.
The aim of this article is to provide recommendations concerning the use of exposure-based therapy for reduction of emotional responding to traumatic memories. Background for these recommendations consists of a summary of the literature on traumatic stress and symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD); an overview of biological, cognitive, and behavioral models for traumatic memory; and a selective review of evidence for the effectiveness of therapeutic exposure as a treatment for trauma memories and PTSD. The recommendations themselves demonstrate how clinical decision making during the course of treatment might be informed by empirical evidence and theoretical models concerning human memory, as well as ethical and legal considerations that mark this topic.
Leskin
G A
GA
National Center for PTSD, Boston VA Medical Center, MA 02130, USA.
Kaloupek
D G
DG
Keane
T M
TM
D000818:Animals; D001521:Behavior Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D003071:Cognition; D015928:Cognitive Behavioral Therapy / Q000379:methods; D004995:Ethics, Professional; D005555:Forensic Psychiatry; D006801:Humans; D008016:Life Change Events; D008568:Memory; D008954:Models, Biological; D008960:Models, Psychological; D011586:Psychology, Clinical; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D051381:Rats; D012107:Research Design; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*