Emotionally valenced and modality-specific dual tasks: Effects on voluntary reminding and proactive interference in trauma-exposed individuals suffering from PTSD.

Abstract

Objectives: People suffering from posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) often experience distressing traumatic memories. Therapeutic methods that apply a secondary task while clients recall a trauma memory may further assist in modifying the vividness and emotionality of the trauma memory and in reducing intrusions. In this experiment, we aimed to investigate whether the emotional valence (positive vs. neutral) and sensory modality (visual vs. auditory) of a secondary task reduces the vividness and emotionality of the trauma memory and the proactive interference. Method: Sixty PTSD patients exposed to road traffic accident traumas were randomized to one of four groups in a 2 (emotional valence: positive, neutral) × 2 (modality: visual, auditory) design. Participants were then exposed to a positive or a neutral clip that was visual or auditory and were required to recall the trauma memory during exposure to the clip. Vividness and emotionality of the trauma memory and proactive interference were assessed before and after exposure to the clip and at a 1-week follow-up. Results: Results revealed that participants who recalled the trauma memory while exposed to the positive clip reported their trauma memory as being less distressing (but not less vivid) and indicated less proactive interference than did participants exposed to the neutral clip. Nevertheless, modality had no significant effect in attenuating the proactive interference under conditions of modality congruence. Conclusion: Inducing positive emotion while performing a dual task may be an effective module in therapeutic approaches.

The Effects of the Flash Technique Compared to Those of an Abbreviated Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing Therapy Protocol on the Emotionality and Vividness of Aversive Memories

“…First of all, the engagement in positive imagery as applied during the Flash technique could be considered a form of counterconditioning. This mechanism was shown to be effective in decreasing fearful stimuli in lab experiments (e.g., Kang et al, 2018 ), is proven to be an effective technique in the treatment of anxiety and trauma-related disorders (e.g., Newall et al, 2017 ; Daneshvar et al, 2021 ), and is part of several successful treatment protocols for these mental health conditions such as Competitive Memory Training (COMET) and Visual Schema Displacement Therapy (VSDT; Staring et al, 2016 ; Matthijssen et al, 2019 , 2021b ). Secondly, one could explain the effects of both EMDR therapy and the Flash technique based upon the working memory theory.…”

Valenced dual tasking in patients with posttraumatic stress disorder.

“…While research looking at the severeness of PTSD symptomatology affecting the course of treatment is scarce, there is one review from a military population that shows that individuals who demonstrate either low or high symptomatology show worse results than individuals demonstrating moderate symptoms (Haagen et al, 2015). Seeing our sample average falls in the "severe" category, this might be an explanation for why we did not find differential effects and Daneshvar et al (2021) did. Secondly, one could make the argument that rating pictures might not have loaded enough working memory to bring about effects.…”

“…Moreover, compared with "regular" aversive autobiographical memory, traumatic autobiographical memory has played a dominant role in the day-to-day life of the PTSD patient, allowing for many cycles of retrieving and reconsolidating that memory. In that vein, when comparing our sample to Daneshvar et al's (2021) sample, it seems that our sample was more troubled: higher scores on the PTSD scales (our PDS-5 score: 44.61 vs. Daneshvar et al's (2021) , both on a scale from 0 to 80). In addition, we included individuals that were enrolled in clinical practice (explicitly help-seeking) as opposed to Daneshvar et al's (2021) victims of motor crash accidents who were not explicitly helpseeking for their psychological problems.…”

“…In that vein, when comparing our sample to Daneshvar et al's (2021) sample, it seems that our sample was more troubled: higher scores on the PTSD scales (our PDS-5 score: 44.61 vs. Daneshvar et al's (2021) , both on a scale from 0 to 80). In addition, we included individuals that were enrolled in clinical practice (explicitly help-seeking) as opposed to Daneshvar et al's (2021) victims of motor crash accidents who were not explicitly helpseeking for their psychological problems. While research looking at the severeness of PTSD symptomatology affecting the course of treatment is scarce, there is one review from a military population that shows that individuals who demonstrate either low or high symptomatology show worse results than individuals demonstrating moderate symptoms (Haagen et al, 2015).…”

“…However, the conclusions that can be drawn from this study are constrained because of several methodological factors, such as the timing of measurements, missing information about exposure times and not including a control condition. On the first aspect-timing of measurements-the Daneshvar et al (2021) paradigm deviates significantly from the usual place of IJDEMA, LACEULLE, THOMAES, AND KORRELBOOM the pre-post-follow-up measurements in the general dual-tasking study design (van den Hout & Engelhard, 2012). Normally, measurements are taken right before and after the intervention, and in the case of long-term effects 1 day or 1 week after the procedure.…”