Inducing and modulating intrusive emotional memories: A review of the trauma film paradigm

Holmes, Emily A.; Bourne, Corin

doi:10.1016/j.actpsy.2007.11.002

Cited by 338 publications

(357 citation statements)

References 81 publications

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“…psychological debriefing), we considered that experimental testing with healthy volunteers should precede future validation of TGP in real trauma survivors. In this paper, we describe the results of two successive experiments in healthy volunteers, using the trauma film paradigm (Holmes & Bourne, 2008), to determine whether TGP with or without memory retrieval is effective in: (1) reducing intrusion frequency at one week and (2) decreasing vividness and emotionality ratings of the most aversive film memory directly after the intervention and at one week.…”

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

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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.

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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

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“…This paradigm typically includes analogue trauma (i.e. an aversive film) and intrusive memories as the main outcome variable and is therefore a useful experimental psychopathology model for PTSD (Holmes & Bourne, 2008; James et al, 2016). Several laboratory-based interventions indeed seem promising in preventing or altering memories for analogue trauma.…”

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confidence: 99%

“…Once a memory is reconsolidated, the new trace becomes stable again (Dudai, 2004). Most experiments have targeted memories of analogue trauma in the consolidation phase (for reviews see Holmes & Bourne, 2008; James et al, 2016). A recent study stretched the post-trauma intervention to 24 hours post-trauma (James et al, 2015).…”

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confidence: 99%

“…Dual processing theories that distinguish perceptual and conceptual memory (Brewin, Dalgleish, & Joseph, 1996; Ehlers & Clark, 2000; Holmes & Bourne, 2008) posit that dominant perceptual information processing leads to the development of intrusions. To test this, laboratory interventions have been designed to tap into one or other of these memory systems.…”

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confidence: 99%

“…One could wonder whether these verbal tasks (e.g. counting backwards) sufficiently tap into conceptual memory and involve contextual processing (Holmes & Bourne, 2008). To examine the effect of a clearly verbal task on reconsolidation of an analogue trauma memory, a word game was developed that draws on verbal resources by demanding an active mental search for words instead of numbers.…”

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confidence: 99%

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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

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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.

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The Act of Remembering the Past: An Overview

Mace

2010

The Act of Remembering

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Inducing and modulating intrusive emotional memories: A review of the trauma film paradigm

Cited by 338 publications

References 81 publications

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

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

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

The Act of Remembering the Past: An Overview

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