Treating Trauma with Eye Movement

Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing therapy, or EMDR, is a type of therapy used for individuals suffering from post-traumatic-stress-disorder. This video discusses EMDR as it relates to various types of memory stores (hippocampus, amygdala) and how episodic and semantic memories differ, as well as how they are integrated; facilitated by REM sleep. This form of therapy involves discussing traumatic memories with a therapist, while also using rapid saccadic eye movements like those performed during REM sleep, to change the way the memory is processed emotionally.

This video was made by McMaster University students Megan Gallagher, Chrisann Eaton, Vicky Chau, and Jujhar Jhajj in collaboration with the Demystifying Research McMaster Program.

Music and graphics were made with, and owned by, Canva Pro and BioRender.

This video is for general and educational purposes only. Please consult your healthcare provider for information about your health.

Copyright McMaster University 2023.

#EMDR #PTSD #Therapy #psychology

References:

McCabe, R. E. (2015). Subjective units of distress scale. J Phobias: Psychol Irrational Fear, 18, 361.

McNally, R. J. (1999). EMDR and mesmerism: A comparative historical analysis. Journal of anxiety disorders, 13(1-2), 225-236.

Servan-Schreiber, D. (2000). POINT: Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing: Is Psychiatry Missing the Point?. Psychiatric Times, 17(7), 36-40.

Sleep Foundation. (2021, December 16). REM Sleep: What It Is and Why It Matters. https://www.sleepfoundation.org/stages-of-sleep/rem-sleep

Stickgold, R. (2002). EMDR: A putative neurobiological mechanism of action. Journal of clinical psychology, 58(1), 61-75.‌

The Human Memory. (2020, August 11). Episodic Memory and Semantic Memory | Facts, Difference & Types. https://human-memory.net/episodic-semantic-memory/

Van der Kolk, B. A., Spinazzola, J., Blaustein, M. E., Hopper, J. W., Hopper, E. K., Korn, D. L., & Simpson, W. B. (2007). A randomized clinical trial of eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR), fluoxetine, and pill placebo in the treatment of posttraumatic stress disorder: treatment effects and long-term maintenance. Journal of clinical psychiatry, 68(1), 37.

Видео Treating Trauma with Eye Movement канала Demystifying Medicine McMaster