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Targeted memory reactivation to augment treatment in post-traumatic stress disorder (Current Biology)

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Home / Resources / PTSD / Targeted memory reactivation to augment treatment in post-traumatic stress disorder (Current Biology)

Targeted memory reactivation to augment treatment in post-traumatic stress disorder

This study applied targeted memory reactivation (TMR) to patients during sleep after receiving EMDR therapy session.


Article Abstract

“Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a psychiatric disorder with traumatic memories at its core. Post-treatment sleep may offer a unique time window to increase therapeutic efficacy through consolidation of therapeutically modified traumatic memories. Targeted memory reactivation (TMR) enhances memory consolidation by presenting reminder cues (e.g., sounds associated with a memory) during sleep. Here, we applied TMR in PTSD patients to strengthen therapeutic memories during sleep after one treatment session with eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR). PTSD patients received either slow oscillation (SO) phase-targeted TMR, using modeling-based closed-loop neurostimulation (M-CLNS) with EMDR clicks as a reactivation cue (n = 17), or sham stimulation (n = 16). Effects of TMR on sleep were assessed through high-density polysomnography. Effects on treatment outcome were assessed through subjective, autonomic, and fMRI responses to script-driven imagery (SDI) of the targeted traumatic memory and overall PTSD symptom level. Compared to sham stimulation, TMR led to stimulus-locked increases in SO and spindle dynamics, which correlated positively with PTSD symptom reduction in the TMR group. Given the role of SOs and spindles in memory consolidation, these findings suggest that TMR may have strengthened the consolidation of the EMDR-treatment memory. Clinically, TMR vs. sham stimulation resulted in a larger reduction of avoidance level during SDI. TMR did not disturb sleep or trigger nightmares. Together, these data provide first proof of principle that TMR may be a safe and viable future treatment augmentation strategy for PTSD. The required follow-up studies may implement multi-night TMR or TMR during REM sleep to further establish the clinical effect of TMR for traumatic memories.”

—Description from publisher

Article Access

Open access

van der Heijden, A. C., van der Werf, Y. D., van den Heuvel, O. A., Talamini, L. M., & van Marle, H. J. F. (2024). Targeted memory reactivation to augment treatment in post-traumatic stress disorder. Current Biology, Online First View. Open access: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2024.07.019

 

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Basic Info Collapse

Date
August 7, 2024

Creator(s)
Anna C. van der Heijden, Ysbrand D. van der Werf, Odile A. van den Heuvel

Contributor(s)
Lucia M. Talamini, Hein J.F. van Marle

Topics
PTSD, Sleep

Practice & Methods
Neurobiology

More Info Collapse

Extent
18 pages

Publisher
Elsevier Inc.

Rights
© 2024 Elsevier Inc.

APA Citation
van der Heijden, A. C., van der Werf, Y. D., van den Heuvel, O. A., Talamini, L. M., & van Marle, H. J. F. (2024). Targeted memory reactivation to augment treatment in post-traumatic stress disorder. Current Biology, Online First View. Open access: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2024.07.019

Audience
EMDR Therapists, Other Mental Health Professionals

Language
English

Content Type
Article, Peer-Reviewed

Access Type
External Resource, Open Access

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