Music InterventionA Frequency-Modulated Music Intervention to Enhance Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) for PTSD

Participants will receive 10 daily sessions of cognitive processing therapy (2 weeks total) and listen to 15 minutes of frequency filtered classical music before each therapy session (2.5 hours music listening total).

Participants will receive 10 daily sessions of cognitive processing therapy (2 weeks total) and listen to 15 minutes of classical music with no frequency filtering before each therapy session (2.5 hours music listening total).

The frequency filtered music intervention is 2.5 hours of classical music that has been filtered by applying an algorithm to alternate narrowing and expanding the range of acoustic frequencies over time, with the alternations intensifying in frequency range over the course of administration. The filtering is optimized for the frequency response of adult human hearing and intended to mimic the expression of the human voice around a central set of frequencies of 800-1200 Hz, the approximate resonant frequency of the human ear. The filtering method is similar to adjusting the treble and bass settings on a stereo system while music is playing; the melody and instruments can still be heard, but the highest and lowest pitches are modulated over time.

The unfiltered music intervention is 2.5 hours of classical music with. The playlist of pieces is identical to the filtered music condition.

Cognitive processing therapy (CPT) is a cognitive therapy that focuses on why patients believe the traumatic event occurred, how that event affected their beliefs about self and others, and how to evaluate their beliefs. Patients then learn to label events, thoughts, and subsequent emotions while the therapist helps them examine the facts and context of the trauma through Socratic questioning. Using progressive worksheets, patients are taught to examine their own thoughts and emotions and develop new, more balanced thinking about traumatic events.