Boosting Psychotherapy With Noninvasive Brain Stimulation: The Whys and Wherefores of Modulating Neural Plasticity to Promote Therapeutic Change

The phenomenon of neural plasticity pertains to the intrinsic capacity of neurons to undergo structural and functional reconfiguration through learning and experiential interaction with the environment. These changes could manifest themselves not only as a consequence of various life experiences but...

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Main Authors: Daniele Saccenti, Leonor J. Romero Lauro, Sofia A. Crespi, Andrea S. Moro, Alessandra Vergallito, Regina Gregori Grgič, Novella Pretti, Jacopo Lamanna, Mattia Ferro
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2024-01-01
Series:Neural Plasticity
Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/np/7853199
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author Daniele Saccenti
Leonor J. Romero Lauro
Sofia A. Crespi
Andrea S. Moro
Alessandra Vergallito
Regina Gregori Grgič
Novella Pretti
Jacopo Lamanna
Mattia Ferro
author_facet Daniele Saccenti
Leonor J. Romero Lauro
Sofia A. Crespi
Andrea S. Moro
Alessandra Vergallito
Regina Gregori Grgič
Novella Pretti
Jacopo Lamanna
Mattia Ferro
author_sort Daniele Saccenti
collection DOAJ
description The phenomenon of neural plasticity pertains to the intrinsic capacity of neurons to undergo structural and functional reconfiguration through learning and experiential interaction with the environment. These changes could manifest themselves not only as a consequence of various life experiences but also following therapeutic interventions, including the application of noninvasive brain stimulation (NIBS) and psychotherapy. As standalone therapies, both NIBS and psychotherapy have demonstrated their efficacy in the amelioration of psychiatric disorders’ symptoms, with a certain variability in terms of effect sizes and duration. Consequently, scholars suggested the convenience of integrating the two interventions into a multimodal treatment to boost and prolong the therapeutic outcomes. Such an approach is still in its infancy, and the physiological underpinnings substantiating the effectiveness and utility of combined interventions are still to be clarified. Therefore, this opinion paper aims to provide a theoretical framework consisting of compelling arguments as to why adding NIBS to psychotherapy can promote therapeutic change. Namely, we will discuss the physiological effects of the two interventions, thus providing a rationale to explain the potential advantages of a combined approach.
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issn 1687-5443
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publisher Wiley
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series Neural Plasticity
spelling doaj-art-0aa20e5cdf7e44eca552aed16c6a5c312025-08-20T02:39:11ZengWileyNeural Plasticity1687-54432024-01-01202410.1155/np/7853199Boosting Psychotherapy With Noninvasive Brain Stimulation: The Whys and Wherefores of Modulating Neural Plasticity to Promote Therapeutic ChangeDaniele Saccenti0Leonor J. Romero Lauro1Sofia A. Crespi2Andrea S. Moro3Alessandra Vergallito4Regina Gregori Grgič5Novella Pretti6Jacopo Lamanna7Mattia Ferro8Department of PsychologyDepartment of Psychology and NeuroMiCognitive StudiesDepartment of PsychologyDepartment of Psychology and NeuroMiDepartment of PsychologyCognitive StudiesFaculty of PsychologyDepartment of PsychologyThe phenomenon of neural plasticity pertains to the intrinsic capacity of neurons to undergo structural and functional reconfiguration through learning and experiential interaction with the environment. These changes could manifest themselves not only as a consequence of various life experiences but also following therapeutic interventions, including the application of noninvasive brain stimulation (NIBS) and psychotherapy. As standalone therapies, both NIBS and psychotherapy have demonstrated their efficacy in the amelioration of psychiatric disorders’ symptoms, with a certain variability in terms of effect sizes and duration. Consequently, scholars suggested the convenience of integrating the two interventions into a multimodal treatment to boost and prolong the therapeutic outcomes. Such an approach is still in its infancy, and the physiological underpinnings substantiating the effectiveness and utility of combined interventions are still to be clarified. Therefore, this opinion paper aims to provide a theoretical framework consisting of compelling arguments as to why adding NIBS to psychotherapy can promote therapeutic change. Namely, we will discuss the physiological effects of the two interventions, thus providing a rationale to explain the potential advantages of a combined approach.http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/np/7853199
spellingShingle Daniele Saccenti
Leonor J. Romero Lauro
Sofia A. Crespi
Andrea S. Moro
Alessandra Vergallito
Regina Gregori Grgič
Novella Pretti
Jacopo Lamanna
Mattia Ferro
Boosting Psychotherapy With Noninvasive Brain Stimulation: The Whys and Wherefores of Modulating Neural Plasticity to Promote Therapeutic Change
Neural Plasticity
title Boosting Psychotherapy With Noninvasive Brain Stimulation: The Whys and Wherefores of Modulating Neural Plasticity to Promote Therapeutic Change
title_full Boosting Psychotherapy With Noninvasive Brain Stimulation: The Whys and Wherefores of Modulating Neural Plasticity to Promote Therapeutic Change
title_fullStr Boosting Psychotherapy With Noninvasive Brain Stimulation: The Whys and Wherefores of Modulating Neural Plasticity to Promote Therapeutic Change
title_full_unstemmed Boosting Psychotherapy With Noninvasive Brain Stimulation: The Whys and Wherefores of Modulating Neural Plasticity to Promote Therapeutic Change
title_short Boosting Psychotherapy With Noninvasive Brain Stimulation: The Whys and Wherefores of Modulating Neural Plasticity to Promote Therapeutic Change
title_sort boosting psychotherapy with noninvasive brain stimulation the whys and wherefores of modulating neural plasticity to promote therapeutic change
url http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/np/7853199
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