This study investigates changes of stress-related psychophysiological reactions after treatment with EMDR. Sixteen patients with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) following type I trauma underwent psychometric and psychophysiological assessment during exposure to script-driven imagery before and after EMDR and at 6-month follow-up. Psychophysiological assessment included heart rate (HR) and heart rate variability (HRV) during a neutral task and during trauma script listening. PTSD symptoms as assessed by questionnaire decreased significantly after treatment and during follow-up in comparison to pretreatment. After EMDR, stress-related HR reactions during trauma script were significantly reduced, while HRV indicating parasympathetic tone increased both during neutral script and during trauma script. These results were maintained during the follow-up assessment. Successful EMDR treatment may be associated with reduced psychophysiological stress reactions and heightened parasympathetic tone.
Date
July 1, 2007
Creator(s)
Martin Sack, Wolfgang Lempa, Friedhelm Lamprecht
Topics
PTSD/C-PTSD
Extent
9 pages
Publisher
Springer Publishing Company
Rights
Copyright © 2007 EMDR International Association
APA Citation
Sack, M., Lempa, W., & Lamprecht, F. (2007). Assessment of Psychophysiological Stress Reactions During a Traumatic Reminder in Patients Treated With EMDR. Journal of EMDR Practice and Research, 1(1): 15-23. https://doi.org/10.1891/1933-3196.1.1.15
Series
1
Installment
1
Audience
EMDR Therapists
Language
English
Content Type
Peer-Reviewed
Original Source
Journal of EMDR Practice and Research
Access Type
Open Access