Stratford Trisha, Lal Sara, Meara Alan
University of Technology, Department of Medical and Molecular Biosciences, Sydney, Australia.
Am J Psychother. 2012;66(1):1-21. doi: 10.1176/appi.psychotherapy.2012.66.1.1.
This study was an attempt to establish neurophysiological correlates, particularly brain activity, during high therapeutic alliance (TA) between client and therapist. The aim was to assess electroencephalography (EEG) activity in clients with symptomatic anxiety during high TA using skin conductance resonance measurements from both client and therapist. Thirty clients, aged 43.8 +/- 11.5 years (males: n=15 females: n=15), underwent six, weekly, 1-hour sessions (180 hours of repeated measures). The EEG activity was measured from the prefrontal, temporal, parietal and occipital sites during the sessions. State and trait anxiety, Working Alliance Inventory (WAI) and heart rate measures were obtained before and after each session. Prefrontal, parietal and occipital sites were associated with TA. Anxiety and heart rate were found to decrease after therapy, and for both the client and the therapist, the WAI score increased significantly in later sessions. The results are discussed from the perspective of further understanding the neurophysiological associations to TA.
本研究旨在确定来访者与治疗师之间处于高度治疗联盟（TA）时的神经生理关联，尤其是大脑活动情况。研究目的是通过测量来访者和治疗师的皮肤电导共振，评估处于高度TA状态下有症状性焦虑的来访者的脑电图（EEG）活动。30名年龄在43.8±11.5岁之间的来访者（男性15名，女性15名）接受了为期六周、每周一次、每次1小时的治疗（共180小时的重复测量）。在治疗过程中，从前额叶、颞叶、顶叶和枕叶部位测量EEG活动。在每次治疗前后获取状态焦虑和特质焦虑、工作联盟量表（WAI）以及心率测量值。前额叶、顶叶和枕叶部位与TA相关。治疗后焦虑和心率下降，并且对于来访者和治疗师双方而言，WAI得分在后期治疗中显著提高。从进一步理解与TA的神经生理关联的角度对研究结果进行了讨论。
