TITLE:
Attention and Memory Networks as Basic Mechanisms of Change in Psychotherapy*
AUTHORS:
Habibollah Ghassemzadeh, Michael I. Posner, Mary K. Rothbart
KEYWORDS:
ACC, Agency, Attention, Integrative Psychotherapy, Meditation, Memory, Optogenetics, Psychotherapy, Theta
JOURNAL NAME:
Psychology,
Vol.17 No.10,
October
29,
2026
ABSTRACT: Cognitive neuroscience may present a new opportunity to examine the mechanisms common to psychotherapy. In this paper, we define psychotherapy and then discuss some forms of psychotherapy and efforts to seek a common psychological basis for their practice such as the effort to improve alliance with the therapist and the agency of the patient. We then consider cognitive neuroscience using imaging and other methods to seek brain networks underlying changes induced by different forms of psychotherapy. Learning, including during verbal and behavior therapy, may induce changes in the brain networks related to attention and memory. This is accomplished through improved connectivity by increases in synaptic plasticity and myelination. This common change may also be induced by enhanced theta rhythm. We consider how neuromodulation via theta burst stimulation using EEG or transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) may be a more direct way to produce brain changes or enhance psychotherapy through improved agency or enhanced connectivity in disordered networks. We believe that these methods provide the needed common scientific basis for improvements that occur in all forms of psychotherapy.