Event-related potentials and EMDR treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder

10 patients suffering from PTSD following a severe traumatic event, were assessed with event-related brain potentials (ERPs) in a modified oddball paradigm containing auditory standard, target, and novel tones. ERPs were assessed before and after a treatment session using the eye movement desensitization and reprocessing method. Compared to a control group that underwent sham treatment, ERPs of the patients showed a reduction of the P3a component in the post-treatment recording, suggesting a reduced orienting to novel stimuli and reduced arousal level after the treatment. Moreover, psychometric assessment revealed a marked improvement of the PTSD symptoms after treatment.

Journal

English

Friedhelm Lamprecht
Christine Kohnke
Wolfgang Lempa
Martin Sack
Mike Matzke
Thomas F. Munte

Lamprecht, F., Kohnke, C., Lempa, W., Sack, M., Matzke, M., & Munte, T. F. (2004, June). Event-related potentials and EMDR treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder. Neuroscience Research, 49(2), 267-272. doi:10.1016/j.neures.2004.02.013