Question

dillon is running a study in which he wants to compare the mechanisms by which antianxiety medication versus cognitive therapy work in treating phobias. he first runs a group of participants who have effectively used benzodiazepines and finds they have decreased activity in their amygdala. based on findings from similar studies, dillon will most likely find that the cognitive therapy group will:

Answer 1

Cognitive therapy likely affects amygdala activity differently from benzodiazepines by changing thought patterns and behaviors, which could lead to decreased amygdala activity and reduced anxiety through neural plasticity and increased prefrontal control.

Step-by-step explanation:

Dillon's study examines the effects of benzodiazepines and cognitive therapy on the amygdala in the treatment of phobias. While benzodiazepines are known to reduce amygdala activity through their sedative and anxiolytic effects, cognitive therapy likely induces changes in brain function through different mechanisms. Cognitive therapy is thought to work by changing the thought patterns and behaviors that contribute to anxiety and phobic responses, potentially leading to neural plasticity and changes in brain regions associated with fear and anxiety, including the amygdala.

This cognitive restructuring could also result in decreased amygdala activity, similar to the effect of benzodiazepines, but achieved through cognitive and behavioral change rather than direct pharmacological action. Results from similar studies indicate that cognitive therapy may lead to changes in brain regions related to emotional regulation, such as the prefrontal cortex, which in turn may modulate amygdala activity and reduce anxiety. Additionally, cognitive therapy might enhance the control of the prefrontal cortex over the amygdala, thereby also leading to decreased activity in the amygdala.