Effects of Dual Task Interference on Memory Intrusions for Affective Images

European Journal of Psychotraumatology

Klaassen

et al. 2017

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.

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 87%

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

Hagenaars

European Journal of Psychotraumatology

Klaassen

et al. 2017

“…These models were not developed to explain intrusions of imagery and this interpretation is merely speculative. However, a similar pattern has been found in studies using a trauma film (Krans et al, 2009) and IAPS pictures (Pearson et al, 2008) and is thus not unique to intrusions of imagery.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 77%

“…Some studies (e.g., Bourne, Frasquilho, Roth, & Holmes, submitted;Holmes et al, 2004) have found an increase in intrusion frequency from verbal interference, as would be predicted from dual-process models (Holmes & Bourne, 2008). In contrast, others have found a decrease in intrusion frequency as a result of verbal interference (e.g., Krans, Nä ring, & Becker, 2009;Pearson, Saywer, & Holmes, 2008), which is in line with the SMS model (Conway & PleydellPearce, 2000;Conway et al, 2004).…”

Section: Intrusive Images From Listening To a Traumatic Verbal Reportmentioning

confidence: 55%

“I see what you’re saying”: Intrusive images from listening to a traumatic verbal report

Krans

Näring

Journal of Anxiety Disorders

et al. 2010

We tested the hypothesis that intrusive visual images could develop from listening to a traumatic verbal report. Eighty-six participants listened to a traumatic verbal report under one of three conditions: while shaping plasticine (visuospatial condition), while performing articulatory suppression (verbal condition), or with no extra task (control condition). Results showed that intrusive visual images developed from listening to the traumatic report. In line with the idea that central executive processes guide encoding of information, intrusion frequency was reduced in both the visuospatial and the verbal condition compared to the no task control condition. Overall, this pattern is similar to intrusive images from a traumatic film as found in earlier studies. This study provides a valuable addition to models of posttraumatic stress disorder and autobiographical memory. Additionally, the results have potential implications for therapists working with traumatized individuals.

“…Some studies reported results in line with these hypotheses Bourne et al 2010 ) . However, others have reported that concurrent tasks from both modalities can reduce intrusion frequency (Krans et al 2009(Krans et al , 2010aPearson and Sawyer 2011 ; . Overall, fi ndings indicate that more sensory information will lead to more intrusive memories, but the role of verbal conceptual processing is still unclear.…”

Section: Theoretical Explanations Of Intrusive Memories In Ptsdmentioning

confidence: 98%

Mental Imagery and Psychopathology: Examples of Post-traumatic Stress Disorder and Bipolar Disorder

Krans

2012

Multisensory Imagery

This chapter aims to provide an update on the relation between mental imagery and psychopathology, with particular reference to post-traumatic stress disorder and bipolar affective disorder. Current evidence is provided to give an overview of the strengths and limitations of existing cognitive behavioural therapies for these two psychological disorders. Clinical vignettes are used to illustrate how imagery interventions may be incorporated into cognitive behavioural therapy to enrich the array of treatment strategies and possibly enhance its ef fi cacy.