EMDR: Eye movements superior to beeps in taxing working memory and reducing vividness of recollections

Hout, Marcel A. van den; Engelhard, Iris M.; Rijkeboer, Marleen M.; Koekebakker, Jutte; Hornsveld, Hellen; Leer, Arne; Toffolo, Marieke B.J.; Akse, Nienke

doi:10.1016/j.brat.2010.11.003

Cited by 135 publications

(84 citation statements)

References 25 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Unclassified

Order By: Relevance

“…In a working memory framework, this would be in line with the finding that either Word games led to relatively fewer intrusions than Tetris, or both Tetris and Word games resulted in relatively fewer intrusions than reactivation-only controls. It is also in line with studies that found a dose–response relationship in that more taxing dual tasks resulted in greater declines in vividness and emotionality of voluntarily retrieved autobiographical memories (Engelhard, Van den Hout & Smeets, 201; Van den Hout et al, 2011), and fewer intrusive memories of aversive pictures (Pearson & Sawyer, 2011). Note that dual task effects on vividness and emotionality of autobiographical memories decreased with too much taxing, suggesting an inverted U-relationship (Engelhard et al, 2011; Van den Hout & Engelhard, 2012).…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 87%

Tetris and Word games lead to fewer intrusive memories when applied several days after analogue trauma

Hagenaars

Holmes

Klaassen

et al. 2017

European Journal of Psychotraumatology

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Background: Intrusive trauma memories are a key symptom of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), so disrupting their recurrence is highly important. Intrusion development was hindered by visuospatial interventions administered up to 24 hours after analogue trauma. It is unknown whether interventions can be applied later, and whether modality or working-memory load are crucial factors. Objectives: This study tested: (1) whether a visuospatial task would lead to fewer intrusions compared to a reactivation-only group when applied after memory reactivation four days after analogue trauma exposure (extended replication), (2) whether both tasks (i.e. one aimed to be visuospatial, one more verbal) would lead to fewer intrusions than the reactivation-only group (intervention effect), and (3) whether supposed task modality (visuospatial or verbal) is a critical component (modality effect). Method: Fifty-four participants were randomly assigned to reactivation+Tetris (visuospatial), reactivation+Word games (verbal), or reactivation-only (no task). They watched an aversive film (day 0) and recorded intrusive memories of the film in diary A. On day 4, memory was reactivated, after which participants played Tetris, Word games, or had no task for 10 minutes. They then kept a second diary (B). Informative hypotheses were evaluated using Bayes factors. Results: Reactivation+Tetris and reactivation+Word games resulted in relatively fewer intrusions from the last day of diary A to the first day of diary B than reactivation-only (objective 1 and 2). Thus, both tasks were effective even when applied days after analogue trauma. Reactivation-only was not effective. Reactivation+Word games appeared to result in fewer intrusions than reactivation+Tetris (objective 3; modality effect), but this evidence was weak. Explorative analyses showed that Word games were more difficult than Tetris. Conclusions: Applying a task four days after the trauma film (during memory reconsolidation) was effective. The modality versus working-memory load issue is inconclusive.

show abstract

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 87%

Tetris and Word games lead to fewer intrusive memories when applied several days after analogue trauma

Hagenaars

Holmes

Klaassen

et al. 2017

European Journal of Psychotraumatology

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Previous studies have repeatedly shown positive effects for dual tasks on vividness and emotionality ratings of autobiographic memories (e.g. Gunter & Bodner, 2008; Leer et al, 2014; van den Hout et al, 2011). However, contrary to previous research, neither dual-task TGP1 nor dual-task TGP2 reduced vividness and emotionality ratings.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 93%

“…The beneficial effects of dual tasks have been found in healthy volunteers retrieving a negative autobiographical memory when performing eye movements (e.g. Leer, Engelhard, & van den Hout, 2014; van den Hout et al, 2011, 2012), drawing complex figures (Gunter & Bodner, 2008) and mental arithmetic (Engelhard, van den Hout, & Smeets, 2011). In addition, the effectiveness of Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) for PTSD has been explained by WM theory (van den Hout & Engelhard, 2012).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Development and testing of TraumaGameplay: an iterative experimental approach using the trauma film paradigm

Asselbergs

Sijbrandij

Hoogendoorn³

et al. 2018

European Journal of Psychotraumatology

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Background: Vivid trauma-related intrusions are a hallmark symptom of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and may be involved in its onset. Effective interventions to reduce intrusions and to potentially prevent the onset of subsequent PTSD are scarce. Studies suggest that playing the videogame Tetris, shortly after watching aversive film clips, reduces subsequent intrusions. Other studies have shown that taxing working memory (WM) while retrieving an emotional memory reduces the memory’s vividness and emotionality. Objective: We developed TraumaGameplay (TGP), a gaming app designed to reduce intrusions. This paper describes two successive experiments to determine whether playing TGP without memory retrieval (regular TGP) or TGP with memory retrieval (dual-task TGP) reduces intrusion frequency at one week compared to a no-game control. Method: For both experiments, healthy university students were recruited. Experiment 1: 92 participants were exposed to a trauma film and randomized to (1) regular TGP1 (n = 31), (2) dual-task TGP1 (n = 31) or (3) control (n = 30). In experiment 2, 120 healthy students were exposed to a trauma film and randomized to (1) regular TGP2 (n = 30), (2) dual-task TGP2 (n = 29), (3) recall only (n = 31) or (4) control (n = 30). Results: We found no significant difference between conditions on the number of intrusions for either playing regular TGP or dual-task TGP in both experiment 1 and experiment 2. Conclusion: Our results could not replicate earlier promising findings from preceding experimental research. Several reasons may underpin this difference ranging from the visuospatial videogame used in our experiments to the method of the experiment to the difficulties of replicability in general.

show abstract

“…An alternative to the orienting response is that to store trauma memories in an episodic form taxes working memory and that eye movements competes with such memories for the limited storage capacity which then results in reductions in vividness and subsequently emotional ratings (I. M. van den Hout et al, 2011;van den Hout et al, 2010) EMDR is efficacious for PTSD and trauma patients with or without co-morbid depression and requires little -to-no between session tasks to ensure positive outcomes. This evidence can be added to the growing list of differences between EMDR and CBT that others have also noted including the way exposure is employed in each of the 2 treatment modalities, EMDR's non-directive approach, and the encouragement of free association during trauma recall and distancing.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Cognitive behaviour therapy versus eye movement desensitization and reprocessing for post-traumatic disorder – is it all in the homework then?

Lee

2012

European Review of Applied Psychology

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The aim of the present meta-analysis was to determine whether there are any differences between eye movement desensitisation and reprocessing (EMDR) and trauma-focused cognitive behaviour therapy (TFCBT) for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) with respect to efficacy and efficiency. We performed a comprehensive literature search using several electronic search engines as well as manual searches of other review papers. Eight original studies involving 227 participants were identified in this manner. The results showed no difference between EMDR or TFCBT on measures of PTSD. However, there was a significant advantage for EMDR over TFCBT in reducing depression (Hedge's g= .63). The analysis also indicated a difference in the prescribed homework between the treatments.Meta-regression analyses were conducted to examine the relationship between hours of homework and gains in depression and PTSD symptoms. Conclusions were confounded by differences between the treatments. These findings are discussed in terms of efficacy and cost-effectiveness. Conflict of interest:The second author receives payments for CBT and EMDR trainings.

show abstract

EMDR: Eye movements superior to beeps in taxing working memory and reducing vividness of recollections

Cited by 135 publications

References 25 publications

Tetris and Word games lead to fewer intrusive memories when applied several days after analogue trauma

Tetris and Word games lead to fewer intrusive memories when applied several days after analogue trauma

Development and testing of TraumaGameplay: an iterative experimental approach using the trauma film paradigm

Cognitive behaviour therapy versus eye movement desensitization and reprocessing for post-traumatic disorder – is it all in the homework then?

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About