Neurobiological changes in obsessive compulsive disorder after EMDR therapy (using EEG): A case study

Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing has been successfully used to treat various psychological disorders. Several neuroimaging investigations like single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and electro encephalography (EEG) have reported modifications in cerebral blood flow, in neural volume and density and in brain electrical signal. Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) is a relatively common chronic disorder that interferes with routine life functioning of individual as is associated with significant distress and impairment of thought process; the condition is characterized by distressing intrusive thoughts and/or repetitive, compulsive actions that are clinically significant. The life time prevalence of OCD in general population is 2-3%. In the present study EEG is used to fully monitor neural activation during EMDR session with the client who is suffering from severe OCD (Y-BOCS Total =32) . EEG was continuously recorded during first session T0 (1) at rest with eyes closed, (2) Eyes open, (3) listening to autobiographical script, (4) During EMDR therapy with eye movement and with tapping on hands, (5) final period of rest. The client is still in treatment and final recording, post treatment (for last EMDR session) T1 (after the processing of index OC behaviour) is planned in a month. The aim of the study is to investigate the neurobiological changes occur after EMDR therapy of OC disorder as has been reported in earlier studies with PTSD patients where shifts of the maximal activation from emotional limbic to cortical cognitive brain regions has been reported.

Conference

English

Usha Verma

Verma, U. (2017, April). Neurobiological changes in obsessive compulsive disorder after EMDR therapy (using EEG): A case study. In EMDR case studies - EMDR in the treatment of fears and phobias (Evelyn Wright, Chair). Presentation at the 3rd EMDR Asia International Conference, Shanghai, China