PMID: 8959423Sep 1, 1996Paper

Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing: effectiveness and autonomic correlates

Journal of Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry
D L WilsonS Foster

Abstract

Eighteen subjects distressed by memories of a specific traumatic event were randomly assigned to a single session of one of three conditions: Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), a Time Interval Condition (TIC), or Tapping Alternate Phalanges (TAP). All subjects treated in the EMDR group showed desensitization as monitored by SUDs, which correlated with the physiological data and cessation of pronounced symptomatology. Only one subject in a control group showed desensitization. Compared to TIC and TAP, autonomic measures showed distinct changes during EMDR: (1) respiration synchronized with the rhythm of the eye movements in a shallow, regular pattern; (2) heart rate slowed significantly overall; (3) systolic blood pressure increased during early sets, invariably declined during abreactions, and decreased overall; (4) finger tip skin temperature consistently increased; and (5) the galvanic skin response consistently decreased in a clear "relaxation response". This relaxing effect of the eye movements suggests that at least one of the mechanisms operating during EMDR is desensitization by reciprocal inhibition, by pairing emotional distress with an unlearned or "compelled" relaxation response.

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Citations

Dec 19, 2001·Journal of Clinical Psychology·Francine Shapiro
Dec 19, 2001·Journal of Clinical Psychology·Louise Maxfield, Lee Hyer
Dec 19, 2001·Journal of Clinical Psychology·Susan Rogers, Steven M Silver
Dec 19, 2001·Journal of Clinical Psychology·Robert Stickgold
Nov 1, 2011·Applied Psychophysiology and Biofeedback·Barry A Tanner
Jul 24, 2008·Journal of Cancer Survivorship : Research and Practice·Daniel A MontiMartha Schlesinger
Oct 30, 2009·The American Journal of Clinical Hypnosis·E Hollander Harriet
Oct 1, 1994·Journal of Psychoactive Drugs·F ShapiroL F Sine
May 28, 2010·PloS One·Zoi KapoulaJean Sandretto
Jul 10, 2008·Journal of Clinical Psychology·Steven M SilverMark Russell
Apr 20, 2016·Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience·Olivier A Coubard
Sep 1, 1996·Journal of Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry·F Shapiro
Aug 8, 2006·Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences·Mara Regina RaboniDeborah Suchecki
Dec 26, 2012·Journal of Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry·Christopher William Lee, Pim Cuijpers
Jan 21, 2017·Reviews in the Neurosciences·Anabel GonzálezAnia Justo-Alonso
Aug 28, 2020·Frontiers in Psychology·Anne NilssonKerstin Uvnäs-Moberg

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