Time-course of eye movement-related decrease in vividness and emotionality of unpleasant autobiographical memories
Abstract
The time-course of changes in vividness and emotionality of unpleasant autobiographical memories associated with making eye movements (eye movement desensitisation and reprocessing, EMDR) was investigated. Participants retrieved unpleasant autobiographical memories and rated their vividness and emotionality prior to and following 96 seconds of making eye movements (EM) or keeping eyes stationary (ES); at 2, 4, 6, and 10 seconds into the intervention; then followed by regular larger intervals throughout the 96-second intervention. Results revealed a significant drop compared to the ES group in emotionality after 74 seconds compared to a significant drop in vividness at only 2 seconds into the intervention. These results support that emotionality becomes reduced only after vividness has dropped. The results are discussed in light of working memory theory and visual imagery theory, following which the regular refreshment of the visual memory needed to maintain it in working memory is interfered with by eye movements that also tax working memory, which affects vividness first.
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The lifetime prevalence of anxiety disorders in MS well exceeds the anxiety disorder lifetime prevalence in healthy individuals of 13%.
“and well exceeds the anxiety disorder lifetime prevalence in healthy individuals of 13%.2”
From EMDR treatment for anxiety in MS patients: A pilot study (2020) · cites this paper as [2]
Patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) suffer from high levels of anxiety.
“Multiple sclerosis (MS) patients suffer from high levels of anxiety.”
From EMDR treatment for anxiety in MS patients: A pilot study (2020) · cites this paper as [2]
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- Authors
- Smeets, M. A. M., Dijs, M. W., Pervan, I., Engelhard, I. M., & van den Hout, M. A.
- Affiliations
- Utrecht University (NL)
- Corresponding author
- Smeets, Monique A. M.
- Venue
- Memory
- Publisher
- Informa UK Limited
- Published
- 2012-05
- Volume
- 20
- Issue
- 4
- Pages
- 346-357
- ISSN
- 0965-8211 (ISSN-L)
- 1464-0686
- OpenAlex
- W2130568266
- Cited by
- 44
- References
- 27
- Citations by year
- 2025: 3 · 2024: 3 · 2022: 4 · 2021: 2 · 2020: 4 · 2019: 4 · 2018: 4 · 2017: 2 · 2016: 5 · 2015: 3 · 2014: 6 · 2013: 3 · 2012: 1
- FWCI
- 2.13
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Memory (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Memory Processes and Influences
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Research
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Developmental and Educational Psychology › Identity, Memory, and Therapy
- Keywords
- EMDR, memory vividness, memory emotionality, eye movements, working memory, visual imagery, memory retrieval
- MeSH terms
- Adolescent, Adult, Desensitization, Psychologic, Emotions, Eye Movements, Female, Humans, Male, Memory, Short-Term, Reaction Time, Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic, Reproducibility of Results, Imagery, Psychotherapy, Young Adult, Memory, Episodic
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