title: Measuring effectiveness of eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) in non-clinical anxiety: a multi-subject, yoked-control design.
abstract: Twenty-eight subjects from a university's subject pool were paired on sex, age, severity, and type of stressful or traumatic incident. One subject in each pair was selected to receive EMDR; the experimental partner spent the same amount of time receiving a visual (non-movement) placebo. Subjective units of discomfort (SUD) scores and physiological measurements were taken prior to and following treatment. Analysis of physiological measurements and self-reported levels of stress were performed within and between each group. While the EMDR group showed significant reductions of stress, EMDR was no better than a placebo. This suggests EMDR's specific intervention involving eye movement may not be a necessary component of the treatment protocol.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Cincinnati, OH 45221-0376, USA.
authors.forename: T M
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Dunn
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Schwartz
authors.forename: R W
authors.initials: RW
authors.lastname: Hatfield
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wiegele
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001007:Anxiety / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D001143:Arousal; D003887:Desensitization, Psychologic / Q000379:methods*; D004576:Electromyography; D005133:Eye Movements; D005260:Female; D005712:Galvanic Skin Response; D006339:Heart Rate; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011698:Pursuit, Smooth; D012881:Skin Temperature; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D016896:Treatment Outcome