The Role of Expectations in the Development of Intrusive Memories

NCT03950869 | Completed

• 1 other identifier: 2019-07
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 90
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

In the experimental study, the well-established trauma film paradigm will be used to investigate the impact of expectations on the development of intrusive memories as a hallmark symptom of PTSD.

Conditions

Posttraumatic Stress Disorder

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• Frequency and severity of intrusive memories: Daily intrusion diary

  Participants are asked to complete a pen-and-paper diary 7 days in a row, reporting on intrusive memories in reference to the trauma film. They are asked to state the number of intrusions per day; each day of the diary is labeled and split into three sections (morning, afternoon, evening), and they are asked to mark in a box in the appropriate section when they experienced an intrusion. For each intrusion, they indicate the quality of the intrusion (image, thought or both), the intensity of and distress caused by the intrusion both on a scale ranging from 0 ("not at all") to 10 ("extremely"), the content of the intrusion, and the situation in which the intrusion occurred. Intrusive memory frequency across 7 days are calculated, whilst higher sum scores represent more intrusions. Severity of intrusions are calculated by combining the average score of the intensity and distress scale across all intrusions, whilst higher values indicate higher intensity/distress of reported intrusions.

  Record of any intrusive memories of the trauma film content for Days 1 to 7 after the experimental manipulation.

Secondary Outcomes (2)

• Distress caused by the trauma film: Impact of Event Scale-Revised (IES-R)

  At the follow-up measurement (7 days after the experimental manipulation).

• Laboratory assessment of intrusive memories: Intrusion Provocation Task (IPT)

  At the follow-up measurement (7 days after the experimental manipulation).

Other Outcomes (2)

• Appraisals of Intrusions Questionnaire

  At baseline and the follow-up measurement (7 days after the experimental manipulation).

• Retrospective Assessment of Active Processing

  At the follow-up measurement (7 days after the experimental manipulation) retrospectively on Days 1 to 7 after the experimental manipulation.

Study Arms (3)

Negative Expectations

EXPERIMENTAL

Expectations on the severity and frequency of intrusions are increased while expectations on the controllability of intrusions are decreased.

Behavioral: Negative Expectation Manipulation

Positive Expectations

EXPERIMENTAL

Expectations on the severity and frequency of intrusions are decreased while expectations on the controllability of intrusions are increased.

Behavioral: Positive Expectation Manipulation

No Expectation Manipulation

NO INTERVENTION

Expectations on the severity and frequency of intrusions and on the controllability are neither increased nor decreased.

Interventions

Positive Expectation Manipulation BEHAVIORAL

Participants are watching a video tape of a trauma expert who provides selective information on the development of intrusive memories. This video tape aims to increase positive expectations.

Positive Expectations

Negative Expectation Manipulation BEHAVIORAL

Participants are watching a video tape of a trauma expert who provides selective information on the development of intrusive memories. This video tape aims to increase negative expectations.

Negative Expectations

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years - 65 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

• healthy volunteers
• fluent in German language

You may not qualify if:

• history of traumatic experiences (LEC-5)
• presence of a mental disorder (SCID-I according to DSM-IV)
• cut-off in depression screening (PHQ-9)
• current suicidal thoughts/behavior or non-suicidal self-injury behavior (C-SSRS)
• medical history of heart disease or epilepsy
• history of fainting
• work experience in the medical field (e.g., nurses, paramedics, etc.)
• visual impairment
• students of psychology and medicine

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Philipps University Marburg: lead

Study Sites (1)

Division of Clinical Psychology and Psychological Interventions, Department of Psychology, Philipps University Marburg

Marburg, Hesse, 35032, Germany

Location

Related Publications (3)

• Holmes EA, Bourne C. Inducing and modulating intrusive emotional memories: a review of the trauma film paradigm. Acta Psychol (Amst). 2008 Mar;127(3):553-66. doi: 10.1016/j.actpsy.2007.11.002. Epub 2008 Jan 29.

  PMID: 18234153 BACKGROUND

• James EL, Lau-Zhu A, Clark IA, Visser RM, Hagenaars MA, Holmes EA. The trauma film paradigm as an experimental psychopathology model of psychological trauma: intrusive memories and beyond. Clin Psychol Rev. 2016 Jul;47:106-42. doi: 10.1016/j.cpr.2016.04.010. Epub 2016 Apr 21.

  PMID: 27289421 BACKGROUND

• Iyadurai L, Visser RM, Lau-Zhu A, Porcheret K, Horsch A, Holmes EA, James EL. Intrusive memories of trauma: A target for research bridging cognitive science and its clinical application. Clin Psychol Rev. 2019 Apr;69:67-82. doi: 10.1016/j.cpr.2018.08.005. Epub 2018 Aug 23.

  PMID: 30293686 BACKGROUND

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Stress Disorders, Traumatic; Trauma and Stressor Related Disorders; Mental Disorders

Study Officials

• Eva-Lotta Brakemeier, Professor

  Philipps University Marburg

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

• Winfried Rief, Professor

  Philipps University Marburg

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: TRIPLE
• Who Masked: PARTICIPANT, INVESTIGATOR, OUTCOMES ASSESSOR
• Purpose: BASIC SCIENCE
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: SPONSOR

Model Details: Participants are assigned to one of three arms in parallel for the duration of the study.

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: May 13, 2019
• First Posted: May 15, 2019
• Study Start: May 31, 2019
• Primary Completion: September 30, 2019
• Study Completion: December 31, 2019
• Last Updated: September 8, 2021

Record last verified: 2021-09

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

DE (1)