Effectiviteit van oogbewegingen, klikjes en geen dubbeltaak bij EMDR in een klinische steekproef

A working memory account of Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) has been widely supported by laboratory research. Tasks that sufficiently tax working memory while recollecting a traumatic event reduce emotionality and vividness of traumatic memories. EMDR-therapists often substitute eye movements with less taxing binaural beeps, while some studies suggest the latter are inferior to eye movements. The present study directly compares eye movements and beeps with EMDR in a clinical sample. In a within-subjects design, 51 patients referred for EMDR therapy recollected their trauma memories while (a) making horizontal eye movements, (b) listening to binaural beeps and (c) focusing on one point (control). Sequence of stimulations was randomized across participants and each stimulation lasted for six minutes. Results showed that eye movements reduce emotionality and vividness of the memory significantly more than control, while emotionality reduced near significantly more with eye movements than with beeps. No significant differences in reduction of both emotionality and vividness were found between beeps and control. Patients rated their trauma memories mostly visual, while more visual memories were near significantly associated with a larger decrease of emotionality and vividness with eye movements. The study supports evidence for a cumulative benefit of eye movements with EMDR. Results are discussed in terms of a modality specific working memory account and clinical implications are discussed