Are EMDR effects caused by de-arousal?

Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR) is increasingly being recognised as a coherent therapeutic procedure in the treatment of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and other anxiety disorders, yet we still do not fully understand by which process or mechanisms it might work. We consider a number of models implicating orienting or investigatory reflexes as a significant contributor to the success of EMDR as a treatment method. A series of experiments were designed to test the predictions derived from these models, examining the physiological effects of eye-movements following auditory challenge compared to an eyes-stationary condition. A significant physiological de-arousal effect is observed in conditions requiring eye-movements similar to those used in the EMDR protocol. We go on to consider the implications for this de-arousal effect in the treatment of PTSD and present preliminary data from a case series designed to examine the unique contribution of EMDR when used with treatment resistant clients. A range of psychometric and psychophysiological process and outcome measures were utilised in this study, providing a detailed evaluation of change over the course of the treatment design. Specialised software was developed for use in this study, in addition to a computerised test and software is provided, along with data obtained from this test.

Conference

English

Malcolm MacCulloch
Alastair Barrowcliff

MacCulloch, M., & Barrowcliff, A. (2001, May). Are EMDR effects caused by de-arousal? Presentation at the 2nd EMDR Europe Association Conference, London, England