EMDR and mindfulness. Eye movements and attentional breathing tax working memory and reduce vividness and emotionality of aversive ideation

Hout, Marcel A. van den; Engelhard, Iris M.; Beetsma, Daniel J. V.; Slofstra, Christien; Hornsveld, Hellen; Houtveen, Jan H.; Leer, Arne

doi:10.1016/j.jbtep.2011.03.004

Cited by 86 publications

(104 citation statements)

References 28 publications

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“…Notably, using EMDR for treating PTSD was based on the hypothesis that if the information associated with a distressing or traumatic experience is avoided, the initial perceptions, emotions, and distorted thoughts would be restored to what they were at the time of the event, which would prevent victims from completely processing their traumatic memories [32]. A recent study reported that EMDR can limit working memory resources while the participants are exposed to negative ideation, thus rendering the image less vivid and the avoidance reduced [33]. We further analyzed the change of scores on the MASC-T subscales and determined that EMDR improved anxiety symptoms on the harm avoidance MASC-T subscale (p Z 0.01).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…We further analyzed the change of scores on the MASC-T subscales and determined that EMDR improved anxiety symptoms on the harm avoidance MASC-T subscale (p Z 0.01). The results suggest that identifying intrusive memories regarding trauma and desensitizing vividness and related emotional distress [33,34] might reduce harm avoidance scores and partially account for the effects of EMDR.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing for treating psychological disturbances in Taiwanese adolescents who experienced Typhoon Morakot

Tang

Yang

Yen

2015

The Kaohsiung J of Med Scie

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In this case-control study, we aimed to assess the intervention effects of four-session eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) on reducing the severity of disaster-related anxiety, general anxiety, and depressive symptoms in Taiwanese adolescents who experienced Typhoon Morakot. A total of 83 adolescents with posttraumatic stress disorder related to Typhoon Morakot, major depressive disorder, or current moderate or high suicide risk after experiencing Typhoon Morakot were allocated to a four-session course of EMDR (N = 41) or to treatment as usual (TAU; N = 42). A multivariate analysis of covariance was performed to examine the effects of EMDR in reducing the severity of disaster-related anxiety, general anxiety, and depressive symptoms in adolescents by using preintervention severity values as covariates. The multivariate analysis of covariance results indicated that the EMDR group exhibited significantly lower preintervention severity values of general anxiety and depression than did the TAU group. In addition, the preintervention severity value of disaster-related anxiety in the EMDR group was lower than that in the TAU group (p = 0.05). The results of this study support that EMDR could alleviate general anxiety and depressive symptoms and reduce disaster-related anxiety in adolescents experiencing major traumatic disasters.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing for treating psychological disturbances in Taiwanese adolescents who experienced Typhoon Morakot

Tang

Yang

Yen

2015

The Kaohsiung J of Med Scie

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“…It has been consistently demonstrated that performance deteriorates when two tasks make demands on the same WM resources, indicating that WM has limited capacity. Focussing on a memory (van Veen et al, 2015) and engaging in EM, both tax WM resources (Engelhard, van Uijen, & van den Hout, 2010; van den Hout et al, 2011, 2010). Simultaneously performing these tasks therefore reduces the sensory quality of the memory, making it less vivid and less emotional.…”

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confidence: 99%

“…Using this laboratory design, different variables can be manipulated in order to examine the underlying working mechanisms of EMDR. Studies that have adopted the model have shown, for example, that memories are not only degraded by EM, but also by other WM taxing dual tasks, such as complex counting (van den Hout et al, 2010) and mindful breathing (van den Hout et al, 2011), and that not only negative memories can be altered by EM, but also positive memories (Engelhard et al, 2010; Hornsveld et al, 2011; Littel, van den Hout, & Engelhard, 2016), providing evidence for the abovementioned WM account.…”

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confidence: 99%

Exploring expectation effects in EMDR: does prior treatment knowledge affect the degrading effects of eye movements on memories?

Littel

Schie

Hout

2017

European Journal of Psychotraumatology

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Background: Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) is an effective psychological treatment for posttraumatic stress disorder. Recalling a memory while simultaneously making eye movements (EM) decreases a memory’s vividness and/or emotionality. It has been argued that non-specific factors, such as treatment expectancy and experimental demand, may contribute to the EMDR’s effectiveness. Objective: The present study was designed to test whether expectations about the working mechanism of EMDR would alter the memory attenuating effects of EM. Two experiments were conducted. In Experiment 1, we examined the effects of pre-existing (non-manipulated) knowledge of EMDR in participants with and without prior knowledge. In Experiment 2, we experimentally manipulated prior knowledge by providing participants without prior knowledge with correct or incorrect information about EMDR’s working mechanism. Method: Participants in both experiments recalled two aversive, autobiographical memories during brief sets of EM (Recall+EM) or keeping eyes stationary (Recall Only). Before and after the intervention, participants scored their memories on vividness and emotionality. A Bayesian approach was used to compare two competing hypotheses on the effects of (existing/given) prior knowledge: (1) Prior (correct) knowledge increases the effects of Recall+EM vs. Recall Only, vs. (2) prior knowledge does not affect the effects of Recall+EM. Results: Recall+EM caused greater reductions in memory vividness and emotionality than Recall Only in all groups, including the incorrect information group. In Experiment 1, both hypotheses were supported by the data: prior knowledge boosted the effects of EM, but only modestly. In Experiment 2, the second hypothesis was clearly supported over the first: providing knowledge of the underlying mechanism of EMDR did not alter the effects of EM. Conclusions: Recall+EM appears to be quite robust against the effects of prior expectations. As Recall+EM is the core component of EMDR, expectancy effects probably contribute little to the effectiveness of EMDR treatment.

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“…Attentional breathing in MBCT may be considered as DTI on the working memory. Thus, it was supposed that MCBT derives some of its beneficial effects from taxing working memory capacities during recall of negative ideation [48]. …”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Risk Perception and Emotional Coping: A Pathway for Behavioural Addiction?

Rougemont-Bücking

Grivel²

2013

Eur Addict Res

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This article summarizes current concepts of the working memory with regard to its role within emotional coping strategies. In particular, it focuses on the fact that the limited capacity of the working memory to process now-relevant information can be turned into an advantage, when the individual is occupied by dealing with unpleasant emotion. Based on a phenomenon known as dual-task interference (DTI), this emotion can be chased by intense arousal due to clearly identifiable external stressors. Thus, risk perception might be used as a ‘DTI inductor' that allows avoidance of unpleasant emotion. Successful mastery of risk adds a highly relevant dopaminergic component to the overall experience. The resulting mechanism of implicit learning may contribute to the development of a behavioural addiction. Besides its putative effects in the development of a behavioural addiction, the use of DTI might be of a more general interest for the clinical practice, especially in the field of psychotherapy.

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EMDR and mindfulness. Eye movements and attentional breathing tax working memory and reduce vividness and emotionality of aversive ideation

Cited by 86 publications

References 28 publications

Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing for treating psychological disturbances in Taiwanese adolescents who experienced Typhoon Morakot

Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing for treating psychological disturbances in Taiwanese adolescents who experienced Typhoon Morakot

Exploring expectation effects in EMDR: does prior treatment knowledge affect the degrading effects of eye movements on memories?

Risk Perception and Emotional Coping: A Pathway for Behavioural Addiction?

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