Dual tasking and posttraumatic stress disorder

This study with patients with PTSD primarily seeks to examine working mechanisms of dual tasking by investigating whether the emotional valence of the distractor or the working memory load is of importance. The primary hypotheses is that a positive task will be more effective in distracting compared to distraction with a neutral or an exposure only task. We also assume that patients with a relative greater working memory will benefit more from the treatment compared to patients with less working memory capacity when the impact of the trauma is high. We expect that patients with a relative limited working memory capacity will benefit more when the impact of the trauma is light. This hypothesis is based on the so-called inverted U model (Van den Hout, & Engelhard, 2012). Possibly there exists an optimised interaction between maximum load, working memory capacity and the experienced impact of the traumatic experience. To ultimately optimize trauma treatment, research into these aspects is warranted.

Primary hypothesis is whether patients with a PTSD the distraction of a positive emotional valence will be more effective in decreasing the vividness and emotionality of a traumatic memory compared to distraction with a neutral task or exposure only condition.

We suppose to end our study when we have included thirty patients. We expect to end the inclusion of patients in November of 2020

In this study we use a cross over design. Patients are exposed to three different conditions namely distraction with a positieve (P), neutral (N) or exposure only (O) condition. The draw for all six possible orders is masked and balanced and takes place by an independent researcher after inclusion.