Development of effect prediction and effect evaluation indices of cognitive behavior therapy

2019 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 15K09857
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Psychiatric science
• Research Institution: Chiba University
• Principal Investigator: Ohtani Toshiyuki 千葉大学, 総合安全衛生管理機構, 准教授 (60456118)
• Project Period (FY): 2015-04-01 – 2020-03-31
• Keywords: 社交不安症 / 自閉スペクトラム症 / 認知行動療法 / MRI / NIRS

Outline of Final Research Achievements

In order to find out the effect evaluation index and the effect prediction index of cognitive behavior therapy (CBT), we measured the effect of CBT using clinical index and brain images. No significant difference was observed between the patients with social anxiety disorder (SAD) and the healthy controls in the region of interest (ROI) volumes of the prefrontal cortex, which were measured by manual parcellation and Freesurfer analyzation. In addition, no significant ROI volume changes were observed in the patients with SAD who received CBT. On the other hand, the brain activity in the frontal brain areas was less in the patients with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) than in subjects with typical development. Furthermore, the brain activity was positively associated with the improvement of the overall function of subjects with ASD caused by CBT. This might suggest that the frontal brain activity can be the effect prediction index of CBT.

Free Research Field

精神医学、心理療法、脳画像

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

社交不安症者の脳画像では前頭前皮質関心領域の脳構造がCBTの効果指標となることを示唆する結果を得ることはできなかった。しかしながらその一方で、自閉スペクトラム症の治療目的で開発したCBTの効果を検証し、自閉スペクトラム症者群は定型発達者群よりも語流暢性課題中の前頭部の脳活動が小さく、自閉スペクトラム症者では前頭部の脳活動が大きいほどCBTによる改善効果が大きくなったことから、前頭部の脳活動がCBTの効果予測指標となる可能性があることを見出した。本研究で得られたこれらの成果は、自閉スペクトラム症者にCBTを適用する際に有益な知見になると思われる。