Clinical and Health Psychology, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
Cogn Emot. 2013;27(1):177-83. doi: 10.1080/02699931.2012.691087. Epub 2012 Jul 6.
In eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR), a treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), patients make eye movements (EM) during trauma recall. Earlier experimental studies found that EM during recall reduces memory vividness during future recalls, and this was taken as laboratory support for the underlying mechanism of EMDR. However, reduced vividness was assessed with self-reports that may be affected by demand characteristics. We tested whether recall+EM also reduces memory vividness on a behavioural reaction time (RT) task. Undergraduates (N=32) encoded two pictures, recalled them, and rated their vividness. In the EM group, one of the pictures was recalled again while making EM. In the no-EM group one of the pictures was recalled without EM. Then fragments from both the recalled and non-recalled pictures, and new fragments were presented and participants rated whether these were (or were not) seen before. Both pictures were rated again for vividness. In the EM group, self-rated vividness of the recalled+EM picture decreased, relative to the non-recalled picture. In the no-EM group there was no difference between the recalled versus non-recalled picture. The RT task showed the same pattern. Reduction of memory vividness due to recall+EM is also evident from non-self-report data.
在眼动脱敏再加工（EMDR）治疗创伤后应激障碍（PTSD）的过程中，患者在回忆创伤时会进行眼球运动（EM）。早期的实验研究发现，在回忆过程中进行 EM 可以降低未来回忆时的记忆生动度，这被认为是 EMDR 潜在机制的实验室支持。然而，记忆生动度的降低是通过自我报告评估的，这可能受到需求特征的影响。我们测试了在行为反应时（RT）任务中，回忆+EM 是否也会降低记忆生动度。大学生（N=32）对两张图片进行编码，回忆并对其生动度进行评分。在 EM 组中，其中一张图片在进行 EM 的同时再次被回忆。在无 EM 组中，一张图片在没有 EM 的情况下被回忆。然后呈现两张图片的片段和新的片段，参与者对这些片段是否（或是否）之前见过进行评分。对两张图片的生动度进行了再次评分。在 EM 组中，相对于未被回忆的图片，被回忆+EM 的图片的自我报告生动度降低。在无 EM 组中，被回忆的图片与未被回忆的图片之间没有差异。RT 任务也呈现出相同的模式。由于回忆+EM，记忆生动度的降低也可以从非自我报告数据中明显看出。
