Submit your papers Submit Now
International Peer-Reviewed Journal
For Enquiries: editor@iiardjournals.org
📄 Download Paper

Exploring the Impact of Trauma on Memory and Cognitive Functioning: Implications for Therapeutic Interventions

Ugwuanyi, Benedict Chidi and Formella, Zbigniew

Abstract

This study investigates the impact of trauma on memory and cognitive functioning, with a focus on the implications for therapeutic interventions. Using a mixed-methods design, the research was conducted in clinical settings involving a sample of 50 individuals who have experienced trauma and 50 who have not, out of a total population of 100 participants. Quantitative data were collected through standardized neuropsychological tests, while qualitative insights were obtained from semi-structured interviews. The results indicate that there is no significant difference in memory performance between individuals who have experienced trauma and those who have not (r = -0.21, p = 0.08), suggesting a weak negative correlation that is not statistically significant. Similarly, the study found no significant relationship between the severity of trauma experienced and cognitive functioning (r = 0.03, p = 0.78), indicating that trauma severity does not appear to influence cognitive functioning in the sample. However, the study did find a significant positive correlation between therapeutic interventions and improved memory and cognitive functioning (r = 0.52, p < 0.001). This suggests that therapeutic interventions designed to address trauma are associated with enhanced cognitive outcomes, highlighting their efficacy in improving memory and cognitive functioning among affected individuals. These findings underscore the importance of therapeutic interventions in supporting trauma survivors, facilitating adaptive cognitive restructuring and promoting psychological well-being.

Keywords

Trauma Memory Cognitive Functioning Therapeutic Interventions Neuropsychological Tests & PTSD.

References

Aslam, N., & Kamal, A. (2019). Assessing positive changes among flood-affected individuals: Translation and validation of Post-Traumatic Growth Inventory-Short Form (PTGI- SF). Pakistan Journal of Medical Research, 58, 59–65. Ashwick, R., Turgoose, D., & Murphy, D. (2019). Exploring the acceptability of delivering cognitive processing therapy (CPT) to UK veterans with PTSD over Skype: A qualitative study. European Journal of Psychotraumatology, 10, 1–10. https://doi.org/10.1080/20008.2019.1573128 Berman, Z., Assaf, Y., Tarrasch, R., & Joel, D. (2018). Assault-related self-blame and its association with PTSD in sexually assaulted women: An MRI inquiry. Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience, 13, 775–784. https://doi.org/10.1093/scan/nsy044 Bernardi, J., Dahiya, M., & Jobson, L. (2019). Culturally modified cognitive processing therapy for Karen refugees with posttraumatic stress disorder: A pilot study. Clinical Psychology & Psychotherapy, 26, 531–539. https://doi.org/10.1002/cpp.2373 Briere, J., & Scott, C. (2015). Principles of Trauma Therapy: A Guide to Symptoms, Evaluation, and Treatment (2nd ed.). Sage Publications. Courtois, C. A., & Ford, J. D. (2013). Treating Complex Trauma: A Sequenced, Relationship- Based Approach. Guilford Press. Fonzo, G. A., Goodkind, M. S., Oathes, D. J., Zaiko, Y. V., Harvey, M., Peng, K. K., & Wang, X. (2021). Amygdala and insula connectivity changes following psychotherapy for posttraumatic stress disorder: A randomized clinical trial. Biological Psychiatry, 89, 857–867. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biopsych.2020.11.021 Fonzo, G. A., Goodkind, M. S., Oathes, D. J., Zaiko, Y. V., Harvey, M., Peng, K. K., & Wang, X. (2017). PTSD psychotherapy outcome predicted by brain activation during emotional reactivity and regulation. American Journal of Psychiatry, 174, 1163–1174. https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.ajp.2017.16091072 Fu, S., Ma, X., Li, C., Wang, T., Li, C., Bai, Z., ... & Li, H. (2019). Aberrant regional homogeneity in post-traumatic stress disorder after traffic accident: A resting-state functional MRI study. NeuroImage: Clinical, 24, 101951–101956. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nicl.2019.101951 Galovski, T. E., Werner, K. B., Weaver, T. L., Morris, K. L., Dondanville, K. A., Nanney, J., & Blount, T. H. (2022). Massed cognitive processing therapy for posttraumatic stress disorder in women survivors of intimate partner violence. Psychological Trauma: Theory, Research, Practice, and Policy, 14, 769–779. https://doi.org/10.1037/tra0001100 Garrido-Hernansaiz, H., Rodríguez-Rey, R., Collazo-Castiñeira, P., & Collado, S. (2022). The posttraumatic growth inventory-short form (PTGI-SF): A psychometric study of the Spanish population during the COVID-19 pandemic. Current Psychology, 1–10. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-021-02645-z Harlé, K. M., Spadoni, A. D., Norman, S. B., & Simmons, A. N. (2020). Neurocomputational changes in inhibitory control associated with prolonged exposure therapy. Journal of Traumatic Stress, 33, 500–510. https://doi.org/10.1002/jts.22461 Hase, M. (2021). The structure of EMDR therapy: A guide for the therapist. Frontiers in Psychology, 12, Article 660753. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.660753 Helpman, L., Marin, M.-F., Papini, S., Zhu, X., Sullivan, G. M., Schneier, F., ... & Neria, Y. (2016). Neural changes in extinction recall following prolonged exposure treatment for PTSD: A longitudinal fMRI study. NeuroImage: Clinical, 12, 715–723. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nicl.2016.10.007 Hendriks, L., de Kleine, R. A., Broekman, T. G., Hendriks, G.-J., & van Minnen, A. (2018). Intensive prolonged exposure therapy for chronic PTSD patients following multiple trauma and multiple treatment attempts. European Journal of Psychotraumatology, 9, Article 1425574. https://doi.org/10.1080/20008198.2018.1425574 Henson, C., Truchot, D., & Canevello, A. (2021). What promotes post traumatic growth? A systematic review. European Journal of Trauma & Dissociation, 5, Article 100195. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejtd.2020.100195 Hullett, P. W., Hamilton, L. S., Mesgarani, N., Schreiner, C. E., & Chang, E. F. (2016). Human superior temporal gyrus organization of spectrotemporal modulation tuning derived from speech stimuli. Journal of Neuroscience, 36, 2014–2026. https://doi.org/10.1523/JNEUROSCI.1779-15.2016 Jayawickreme, E., Infurna, F. J., Alajak, K., Blackie, L. E. R., Chopik, W. J., Chung, J. M., ... & Tsoi, A. (2021). Post-traumatic growth as positive personality change: challenges, opportunities, and recommendations. Journal of Personality, 89, 145–165. https://doi.org/10.1111/jopy.12591 Jung, W. H., Chang, K. J., & Kim, N. H. (2016). Disrupted topological organization in the whole-brain functional network of trauma-exposed firefighters: A preliminary study. Psychiatry Research: Neuroimaging, 250, 15–23. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pscychresns.2016.03.003 Kapur, A., Rudin, B., & Potters, L. (2022). Posttraumatic growth in radiation medicine during the COVID-19 outbreak. Advances in Radiation Oncology, 7, Article 100975. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.adro.2022.100975 King, A. P., Block, S. R., Sripada, R. K., Rauch, S., Giardino, N., Favorite, T., & Angstadt, M. (2016). Altered default mode network (DMN) resting state function connectivity following a mindfulness-based exposure therapy for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in combat veterans of Afghanistan and Iraq. Depression and Anxiety, 33, 289– https://doi.org/10.1002/da.22481 Konu, D., Turnbull, A., Karapanagiotidis, T., Wang, H.-T., Brown, L. R., Jefferies, E., & Smallwood, J. (2020). A role for the ventromedial prefrontal cortex in self-generated episodic social cognition. NeuroImage, 218, Article https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuroimage.2020.116977 Landin-Romero, R., Moreno-Alcazar, A., Pagani, M., & Amann, B. L. (2018). How does eye movement desensitization and reprocessing therapy work? A systematic review on suggested mechanisms of action. Frontiers in Psychology, 9, Article 1395. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2018.01395 Li, W., Li, G., Ji, B., Zhang, Q., & Qiu, J. (2019). Neuroanatomical correlates of creativity: Evidence from voxel-based morphometry. Frontiers in Psychology, 10, Article 155. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2019.00155 Marques, L., Eustis, E. H., Dixon, L., Valentine, S. E., Borba, C., Simon, N., & Wiltsey- Stirman, S. (2016). Delivering cognitive processing therapy in a community health setting: The influences of Latino culture and community violence on posttraumatic cognitions. Psychological Trauma: Theory, Research, Practice, and Policy, 8, 98–106. https://doi.org/10.1037/tra0000044 Marziliano, A., Tuman, M., & Moyer, A. (2020). The relationship between post-traumatic stress and post-traumatic growth in cancer patients and survivors: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Psycho-Oncology, 29, 604–616. https://doi.org/10.1002/pon.5314 Matos, M., McEwan, K., Kanovsky, M., Halamová, J., Steindl, S. R., Ferreira, N., & Brosseau- Liard, P. (2021). The role of social connection on the experience of COVID-19 related post-traumatic growth and stress. PLoS One, 16(12), e0261384. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0261384 Ng, F., Ibrahim, N., Franklin, D., Jordan, G., Lewandowski, F., Fang, F., & Rees, C. (2021). Post-traumatic growth in psychosis: A systematic review and narrative synthesis. BMC Psychiatry, 21, Article 230. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12888-021-03614-3 Norr, A. M., Bourassa, K. J., Stevens, E. S., Hawrilenko, M. J., Michael, S. T., & Reger, G. M. (2019). Relationship between change in in-vivo exposure distress and PTSD symptoms during exposure therapy for active-duty soldiers. Journal of Psychiatric Research, 116, 133–137. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpsychires