The Neuroscience of EMDR Therapy 🧠
Does Brain Science Research Support It? (6min Read)
TL;DR Summary:
EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) was developed by Dr. Francine Shapiro in the 1980s.
It uses bilateral stimulation (eye movements, taps, lights) to reprocess traumatic memories.
Neuroscience shows EMDR reduces activity in the brain's fear center (amygdala) and mimics REM sleep processing.
EMDR helps decrease the emotional intensity of traumatic memories by enhancing brain communication.
Functional MRI studies reveal EMDR changes brain activity, reducing PTSD symptoms faster than traditional therapy.
EMDR even causes physical changes in brain structure and function.
Curious about how EMDR rewires the brain? Dive into the science behind this transformative therapy!
Welcome Back!
Imagine a therapy that can help you reprocess traumatic memories just by moving your eyes.
Sounds like science fiction, right? Well, it’s not.
This is the essence of EMDR therapy, a powerful tool that’s transforming the way we heal from trauma.
Today, we’re diving into the fascinating neuroscience behind EMDR. Where did it come from? Does science support its effectiveness? And what exactly is happening in the brain and nervous system during EMDR?
Neuroscientists have started to explore these questions and what they're finding is kind of mind-blowing.
Let’s dive in!
Background of EMDR Therapy
First, if you don’t know, EMDR stands for Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing.
It was developed by Dr. Francine Shapiro in the late 1980s when she was walking and doing therapy with some of her trauma patients.
While on these walks, she noticed that it was much easier for her patients to recall and recount traumatic memories.
It was almost like some of the scary emotions had been removed from the memories which allowed them to reprocess them more effectively!
So, she conducted a study on people struggling with PTSD and found that directing their eye movements while they recalled traumatic events significantly reduced the emotional impact of those memories.
Since then, EMDR has become one of the most powerful tools we have at working with traumatic memories and has been recognized as an evidence-based treatment for PTSD by the APA & WHO!
But what is this evidence? And what do we know about what’s going on in the brain that makes it so effective?!
The Neuroscience Behind EMDR
Understanding what’s going on in the brain before, during, and after EMDR is the best way to understand why it’s so effective, and how scientists have tested this!
During EMDR, the brain enters a state similar to when you’re in REM sleep.
During the rapid eye movement (REM) phase of sleep, our brains process and integrate emotional experiences.
EMDR mimics this natural process by using bilateral stimulation to help the brain process traumatic memories in a similar fashion!
Bilateral Stimulation & Amygdala Activity
Bilateral stimulation can include side-to-side eye movements, tactile taps, back-and-forth lights in front of your eyes, auditory tones, and much more.
One of the key research questions neuroscientists look at in understanding EMDR's effectiveness is whether this bilateral stimulation helps to reduce activity in the amygdala.
The Role of the Amygdala
The amygdala is an almond-shaped cluster of nuclei located within the temporal lobes of the brain.
It plays a central role in processing emotions, particularly fear and threat-related sensory inputs.
When a person experiences a traumatic event, the amygdala becomes highly active, encoding the memory with intense emotional significance.
This heightened state of alertness and emotional arousal can lead to persistent fear responses, even long after the traumatic event has passed.
This is where a lot of the symptoms of PTSD come from!
Bilateral Stimulation and Amygdala Activity
This sounds nice in theory, but does research support this?!
The short answer is yes!
Research suggests that bilateral stimulation used in EMDR therapy can help reduce the hyperactivity of the amygdala associated with traumatic memories.
Bilateral stimulation is thought to facilitate the desensitization of traumatic memories by having people engaging in tasks that require this back & forth stimulation while recalling traumatic events.
This helps people experience a decrease in the vividness and emotional intensity of these memories.
This process is believed to reduce the amygdala's reactivity to trauma-related stimuli.
It can also enhance the communication between the amygdala and other brain regions involved in memory processing, such as the hippocampus and the prefrontal cortex.
The hippocampus helps to contextualize memories, while the prefrontal cortex is involved in regulating emotional responses.
By promoting better integration of these memory networks, EMDR can help reframe traumatic memories in a less distressing context!
Studies have also shown that bilateral stimulation can lead to a reduction in physiological arousal, such as heart rate and skin conductance, which are often elevated during the recall of traumatic memories.
Finally, functional MRI (fMRI) studies have provided neuroimaging evidence supporting the impact of EMDR on the amygdala.
These studies show that individuals undergoing EMDR exhibit decreased activation in the amygdala and increased activation in the prefrontal cortex, suggesting improved regulation of emotional responses.
What About Individual Neurons?
There has been some interesting research at the network and individual nerve levels as well!
EMDR has been shown to increase the power of a naturally occurring low-frequency rhythm in the brain’s memory areas.
These slow-wave rhythms help different parts of the brain communicate better, specifically connecting the areas that store memories.
This enhanced communication is believed to facilitate the reprocessing of traumatic memories, integrating them into a person's broader narrative in a less distressing way.
Synapses and Receptors
At the receptor level, it’s thought that the increase in these rhythms causes the receptors on nerve cells that hold fear memories to effectively “turn off”.
This process is called Long Term Depression (LTD), which is the opposite of Long Term Potentiation (LTP).
These two processes are how your brain weakens (LTD) and strengthens (LTP) neural connections.
I’m very much oversimplifying these processes, but we don’t have time for a 3-year Masters course today!
The bottom line is that during EMDR, the fear memory synapses weaken, meaning the memory loses its intense emotional charge and becomes just another memory without the extreme emotions previously attached to it.
This synaptic weakening is essential for reducing the distress associated with traumatic memories and helping individuals regain control over their emotional responses.
As you can see, EMDR has an effect at nearly every level of the nervous system, and profoundly affects the structure and function of the brain!
EMDR: A Medical Procedure?
Some researchers even consider EMDR a "medical procedure" because of the physical changes to the structure and functioning of your brain.
This isn't just about feeling better—it's about real, measurable changes in how your brain works.
Numerous studies have shown that EMDR can lead to significant reductions in PTSD symptoms.
For instance, a meta-analysis published in the Journal of Clinical Psychology found that EMDR is as effective as cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) for treating PTSD, but often achieves results more quickly.
Closing Thoughts
If you know someone who goes to EMDR therapy, share this with them!
Understanding the science behind it can be empowering and provide hope that real, lasting change is possible.
If you’d like to find someone who practices EMDR near you, I’d suggest checking out this directory: EMDR Therapist Directory
I hope today’s blog has helped shed some light on the neuroscience behind this powerful therapy!
And until next time… Live Heroically! 🧠
Supporting Research
Pagani, M., Di Lorenzo, G., Verardo, A. R., Nicolais, G., Monaco, L., Lauretti, G., … & Siracusano, A. (2012). Neurobiological correlates of EMDR monitoring – an EEG study. PLoS One, 7(9), e45753.
Sack, M., Lempa, W., Steinmetz, A., Lamprecht, F., & Hofmann, A. (2008). Alterations in autonomic tone during trauma exposure using eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR)—results of a preliminary investigation. Journal of Anxiety Disorders, 22(7), 1264-1271.
Leeds, A. M. (2009). A guide to the standard EMDR protocols for clinicians, supervisors, and consultants. Springer Publishing Company.
Maxfield, L., Melnyk, W. T., & Hayman, C. A. (2008). A working memory explanation of the effects of eye movements in EMDR. Journal of EMDR Practice and Research, 2(4), 247-261.
Chen, Y. R., Hung, K. W., Tsai, J. C., Chu, H., Chung, M. H., Chen, S. R., & Chou, K. R. (2014). Efficacy of eye-movement desensitization and reprocessing for patients with posttraumatic-stress disorder: A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. PLoS One, 9(8), e103676.
Edmond, T., Rubin, A., & Wambach, K. (1999). The effectiveness of EMDR with adult female survivors of childhood sexual abuse. Social Work Research, 23(2), 103-116.