Effectiveness of Prolonged Exposure and Cognitive Processing Therapy for US Veterans With a History of Traumatic Brain Injury

This retrospective analysis of previously existing nonrandomized clinical data examined the effectiveness of completing prolonged exposure (PE) or cognitive processing therapy (CPT) in a sample of 41 U.S. veterans at a Veterans Affairs medical center. The sample included 19 veterans with diagnoses of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and traumatic brain injury (TBI) and 22 veterans with PTSD only. Diagnostic groups did not significantly differ on PTSD and depression symptom reduction, F(2, 36) = 0.05, p = .951; Pillai's trace = 0.00, partial (2)= .00. Veterans who completed PE showed greater symptom reduction than those who completed CPT, F(2, 36) = 12.10, p < .001; Pillai's trace = 0.40, partial (2) = .40, regardless of TBI status. Overall, our results suggested that TBI status should not preclude individuals from being offered trauma-focused PTSD treatment.