The effects of β-adrenergic blockade on the degrading effects of eye movements on negative autobiographical memories

The present study was designed to test whether noradrenaline strengthens memories that are degraded by eye movements.

Article Abstract

“Background: Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) is an effective treatment for posttraumatic stress disorder. During EMDR, patients make horizontal eye movements (EMs) while simultaneously recalling a traumatic memory, which renders the memory less vivid and emotional when it is later recalled again. Recalling highly emotional autobiographical memories enhances noradrenergic neurotransmission. Noradrenaline (NA) strengthens memory (re)consolidation. However, memories become less vivid after recall+EMs. Therefore, NA might either play no significant role or serve to strengthen memories that are degraded by EMs. The present study was designed to test the latter hypothesis. We predicted that blocking NA would abolish the memory degrading effects of EMs.

Methods: Fifty-six healthy participants selected three negative autobiographical memories. One was then recalled while making EMs, one was recalled without EMs, and one was not recalled. Vividness and emotionality of the memories as well as heart rate and skin conductance level during memory retrieval were measured before, directly after, and 24 hours after the EM task. Before the task, participants received a placebo or the noradrenergic β-receptor blocker propranolol (40 mg).

Results: There were no effects of EMs on memory emotionality or psychophysiological measures in the propranolol and placebo groups. However, in the placebo group, but not in the propranolol group, memory vividness significantly decreased from pretest to posttest and follow-up after recall+EMs relative to the control conditions.

Conclusions: Blocking NA abolished the effects of EMs on the vividness of emotional memories, indicating that NA is crucial for EMDR effectiveness and possibly strengthens the reconsolidation of the degraded memory.”

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Littel, M., Kenemans, J. L., Baas, J. M. P., Logemann, H. N. A., Tijken, N., Remijn, M., Hassink, R. J., Engelhard, I. M., & van den Hout, M. A. (2017). The effects of β-adrenergic blockade on the degrading effects of eye movements on negative autobiographical memories. Biological Psychiatry, 82(8), 587-593. Retrieved from: https://www.biologicalpsychiatryjournal.com/article/S0006-3223(17)31369-0/fulltext

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Date
October 15, 2017

Creator(s)
Marianne Littel, J. Leon Kenemansc, Johanna M.P. Baas

Contributor(s)
H.N. Alexander Logemann, Nellie Rijken, Malou Remijn, Rutger J. Hassink, Iris M. Engelhard, Marcel A. van den Hout

Practice & Methods
BLS, Mechanisms of Action

Extent
6 pages

Publisher
Elsevier

Rights
Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

APA Citation
Littel, M., Kenemans, J. L., Baas, J. M. P., Logemann, H. N. A., Tijken, N., Remijn, M., Hassink, R. J., Engelhard, I. M., & van den Hout, M. A. (2017). The effects of β-adrenergic blockade on the degrading effects of eye movements on negative autobiographical memories. Biological Psychiatry, 82(8), 587-593. Retrieved from: https://www.biologicalpsychiatryjournal.com/article/S0006-3223(17)31369-0/fulltext

Audience
EMDR Therapists

Language
English

Content Type
Article, Peer-Reviewed

Access Type
External Resource

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