The effectiveness of metacognitive therapy and transcranial direct current stimulation on executive functions of Stroop and Tower of London in veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder

The aim of this study was to effectiveness of metacognitive therapy and transcranial direct current stimulation on the executive functions of veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder.

The present study is a quasi-experimental study and its research design is pre-test and post-test with a control group. Sixty PTSD veterans of Bustan Psychiatric Hospital in Ahvaz participated in study as a sample and were randomly divided into three groups of metacognitive therapy, tDCS and control. The measuring instruments were the Stroop test and the Tower of London test. Data were analyzed using ANCOVA.

the results showed that in the executive function test of Stroop and Tower of London in the pre-test stage there was no significant difference between groups (P <0.05) but in the post-test stage there was a significant difference between groups (0.05 > P). According to the results of Bonferroni test, there is a significant difference between the metacognitive therapy group with control (P<0.05) and tDCS with control (P<0.05) in strop and Tower of London test, but there is none significant difference between the metacognitive therapy and tDCS groups (P <0.05).

use of metacognitive therapy approach as well as tDCS of can improve executive functions in veterans with PTSD. Therefore, it is recommended to therapists and rehabilitators and all people who deal with such people to use these two types of approaches in their daily plans and to improve executive functions.