On EMDR: Measuring the working memory taxation of various types of eye (non-) movement conditions

This study tested whether differences in working memory load across eye (non-)movement conditions could explain why clinical trials found equal PTSD symptom reduction despite laboratory evidence that eye movements produce stronger memory effects.

Article Abstract

“Background and objective: A recent, large randomized controlled trial employing different forms of eye (non-)movements in eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) showed that fixating the eyes either on a therapist’s moving or non-moving hand led to equal reductions in symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). However, numerous EMDR lab analogue studies found that eye movements produce larger memory effects than eyes stationary. These beneficial effects are typically explained by differences in working memory (WM) taxation. We tested the degree of WM taxation of several eye (non-)movement conditions used in the clinical trial.

Methods: All participants (N = 40) performed: (1) eyes moving by following the experimenter’s moving finger, (2) eyes fixed on the experimenter’s stationary finger, (3) eyes closed, or (4) looking unfocused into the room. Simultaneously they performed a simple reaction time task. Reaction times are an objective index of the extent to which different dual attention tasks tax WM.

Results: Eyes moving is more taxing than eyes fixed, while eyes fixed did not differ from eyes unfocused. All conditions were more taxing than eyes closed.

Limitations: We studied WM taxation in a laboratory setting; no clinical interventions were applied.

Conclusions: In line with previous lab studies, making eye movements was more taxing than eyes fixed. We discuss why this effect was not observed for reductions in PTSD symptoms in the clinical trial (e.g., differences in dependent variables, sample population, and intervention duration). For more comprehensive future insights, we recommend integration of mechanistically focused lab analogue studies and patient-oriented clinical studies.

Highlights:

  • Eye (non-)movement conditions differentially tax working memory (WM)
  • EMDR clinical and lab studies show conflicting evidence about these conditions
  • This study shows that eyes moving is more taxing than eyes fixed
  • Keeping the eyes fixed or unfocused does not result in differences in WM taxation
  • The current results are in line with EMDR lab analogue studies”

—Description from publisher

Article Access

Open Access

van Veen, S. C., Kang, S., & van Schie, K. (2019). On EMDR: Measuring the working memory taxation of various types of eye (non-) movement conditions. Journal of Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry, 65, 101494. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbtep.2019.101494 

 

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Basic Info Collapse

Date
December 1, 2019

Creator(s)
Suzanne C. van Veen, Sahaj Kang, Kevin van Schie

Practice & Methods
BLS, Mechanisms of Action

More Info Collapse

Extent
5 pages

Publisher
Elsevier

Rights
© 2019 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

APA Citation
van Veen, S. C., Kang, S., & van Schie, K. (2019). On EMDR: Measuring the working memory taxation of various types of eye (non-) movement conditions. Journal of Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry, 65, 101494. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbtep.2019.101494 

Audience
EMDR Therapists, Other Mental Health Professionals

Language
English

Content Type
Article, Peer-Reviewed

Access Type
External Resource, Open Access

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