Department of Clinical, Health and Neuropsychology, Leiden University, PO Box 9555, 2300 RB Leiden, The Netherlands.
J Behav Ther Exp Psychiatry. 2012 Jun;43(2):808-14. doi: 10.1016/j.jbtep.2011.09.005. Epub 2011 Sep 21.
Contemporary theories predict PTSD development after trauma if trauma information is not adequately processed or negatively appraised. Mental imagery and emotional processing seem to be strongly related and evidence-based treatment strategies such as imaginal exposure and EMDR indeed include imagery as a main component. Moreover, imagery rescripting of traumatic memories is an effective treatment for PTSD.
The present study combined these lines of research and investigated the impact of early imagery rescripting on intrusion development after an aversive film. Seventy-six participants were randomly allocated to one of three conditions: imagery rescripting (IRS), imagery reexperiencing (IRE) and positive imagery (PI). All participants watched an aversive film, had a 30-min break and then received a 9-min intervention (IRS, IRE or PI). They indicated subjective distress during the intervention, recorded intrusive memories of the film for 1 week and completed the Posttraumatic Cognitions Inventory (PTCI) and a cued recall test one week later.
The IRS group developed fewer intrusive memories relative to the IRE and PI groups, and less negative cognitions than the IRE group, while cued recall was enhanced in IRS and IRE groups compared to the PI group. IRS and PI groups experienced less distress during the intervention than the IRE group.
This is an analogue design and results should be replicated in clinical samples.
The results suggest that IRS might be an adequate technique to change memory consolidation at an early stage and therefore a powerful and non-distressing strategy to prevent PTSD symptoms.
当代理论预测，如果创伤信息没有得到充分处理或被负面评价，创伤后会出现 PTSD。心理意象和情绪处理似乎密切相关，基于证据的治疗策略，如想象暴露和 EMDR，实际上确实包含意象作为主要组成部分。此外，对创伤性记忆进行意象重写是治疗 PTSD 的有效方法。
本研究结合了这些研究线索，调查了早期意象重写对厌恶电影后侵入性发展的影响。76 名参与者被随机分配到以下三种条件之一：意象重写（IRS）、意象再体验（IRE）和积极意象（PI）。所有参与者观看了一部令人厌恶的电影，休息 30 分钟，然后接受 9 分钟的干预（IRS、IRE 或 PI）。他们在干预期间报告主观不适，记录电影的侵入性记忆 1 周，并在 1 周后完成创伤后认知清单（PTCI）和线索回忆测试。
与 IRE 和 PI 组相比，IRS 组发展的侵入性记忆较少，负性认知较少，而 IRS 和 IRE 组的线索回忆增强，与 PI 组相比。IRS 和 PI 组在干预期间的不适感低于 IRE 组。
这是一个模拟设计，结果应在临床样本中复制。
结果表明，IRS 可能是一种早期改变记忆巩固的有效技术，因此是一种预防 PTSD 症状的强大且无压力的策略。
