The importance of Neuro-Cognitive Processing to the Understanding and Treatment of Child PTSD

Abstract

ABSTRACT: Basic research and current clinical practice have revealed the difficulty in separating/connecting cognition and emotion and their respective localizations in the brain. Regarding Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), emotions (usually fear) cause a cascade of symptoms, including those impacting several cognitive processes. And it is often considered that relieving the emotional upset associated with PTSD will also improve related cognitive functioning. While it is often assumed that the relationship of emotion, cognition and PTSD is unidirectional, this may not necessarily be the case. The present article aims to describe the complex relationship between emotion and cognitive processes in those with PTSD and suggests an important role for executive functioning as a modulator of the emotion/cognition relationship, as well as the latter’s importance as a contributor to the successful treatment of PTSD. The paper concludes by stressing the importance of assessing cognitive processes in standard treatment protocols evaluating patients with PTSD and highlights the potential benefits of training executive functions as part of PTSD therapy.