title: [Neurobiological correlates of EMDR therapy].
abstract: The EEGs in a group of ten subjects with major psychological trauma treated with EMDR and in ten controls have been registered both during the listening of the autobiographical narrative of the index trauma (script) and during a whole EMDR session. The EEGs have been performed again during the last EMDR session when patients were free of symptoms. During script listening a prevalent activation of the limbic regions corresponding to prefrontal and orbitofrontal cortex has been registered, being explained as the emotional arousal during trauma reliving at the symptomatic phase. The significant decrease of such activations during the late asymptomatic phase represents the neurobiological correlate of recovery. Moreover, the evidence of significant cortical activation in the parietal-temporo-occipital areas, during the last session, suggests a switch of the dominant electrical signal towards cortical areas with a prevalent cognitive function.
authors.affiliation: Istituto di Scienze e Tecnologie della Cognizione, CNR, CNR, Roma. marcopagani2@yahoo.it
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pagani
authors.forename: Giorgio di
authors.initials: Gd
authors.lastname: Lorenzo
authors.forename: Annarita
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Verardo
authors.forename: Giampaolo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Nicolais
authors.forename: Leonardo
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Monaco
authors.forename: Cinzia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Niolu
authors.forename: Isabel
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Fernandez
authors.forename: Alberto
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Siracusano
mesh_terms: D004569:Electroencephalography; D057169:Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing; D006801:Humans; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000628:therapy*