new emdr data

Eye Motion Therapy Had No Effect on PTSD

Sally Koch Kubetin, Contributing Writer

[Clinical Psychiatry News 28(5):41, 2000. 2000 International Medical
News Group.]

Combat-related chronic posttraumatic stress disorder is not cured by
eye movement desensitization and reprocessing, reported Michael L.
Macklin of the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Manchester, N.H.,
and his associates.

Even the immediate short-term benefits of this therapy do not
persist, according to the investigators.

In a previous study by Mr. Macklin and his associates, eye movement
desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) was associated with 23%
improvement of symptoms of 17 Vietnam combat veterans with chronic
posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Five-year follow-up data on 13 of these 17 veterans showed that even
those modest benefits did not persist (Compr. Psychiatry 41[1]:24-27,
2000).

EMDR combines the principles of exposure therapy with rhythmic eye
movements that are initiated and maintained by tracking a therapist's
lateral hand movements. These eye movements are thought to aid in
reprocessing of disturbing thoughts or memories by altering memory
structures and associated emotional responses.

The original treatment involved six sessions of orthodox EMDR, plus
up to six sessions of eye-fixed finger tapping desensitization and
reprocessing therapy.

These 13 veterans treated with EMDR were compared with a second group
of 14 Vietnam veterans with PTSD who were not treated with EMDR. They
were evaluated using several measures: Clinician-Administered PTSD
Scale, Impact of Event Scale with both intrusion and avoidance
subscales, Mississippi Scale for Combat-Related PTSD, and Symptom
Checklist 90-Revised Global Severity Index.

The two groups of veterans had comparable scores on these measures,
which showed a worsening of PTSD over the 5-year follow-up period.

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