This study was designed to investigate the question of whether psychophysiological changes during EMDR sessions are related to subjective and objective reduction of PTSD symptoms. During-session changes in autonomic tone in relation to session-to-session changes of subjective stress, trauma-related symptoms, and psychophysiological reactions during a traumatic reminder were investigated in 10 patients suffering from single-trauma PTSD. Treatment duration followed each patient’s individual needs and ranged between 1 and 4 sessions, resulting in a total of 24 EMDR treatment sessions from which psychophysiological data were completely recorded. Treatment with EMDR was followed by a significant reduction of trauma-related symptoms, elimination of the PTSD diagnosis in 8 of the 10 participants, as well as by significantly reduced psychophysiological reactivity to an individualized trauma script. Psychophysiological dearousal in sessions correlated significantly with decrease in script-related reactions in heart rate and parasympathetic tone, and with changes in subjective disturbance. Our results indicate that information processing during EMDR is followed by during-session decrease in psychophysiological activity, reduced subjective disturbance and reduced stress reactivity to traumatic memory.
Date
November 1, 2008
Creator(s)
Martin Sack, Arne Hofmann, Leah Wizelman, Wolfgang Lempa
Topics
PTSD/C-PTSD
Extent
8 pages
Publisher
Springer Publishing Company
Rights
Copyright © 2008 EMDR International Association
APA Citation
Sack, M., Hofmann, A., Wizelman, L., & Lempa, W. (2008). Psychophysiological Changes During EMDR and Treatment Outcome. Journal of EMDR Practice and Research, 2(4), 239–246. https://doi.org/10.1891/1933-3196.2.4.239
Series
2
Installment
4
Audience
EMDR Therapists
Language
English
Content Type
Peer-Reviewed
Original Source
Journal of EMDR Practice and Research
Access Type
Open Access