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Description: Bilateral eye movement (EM) is a critical component in eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR), an effective treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder. However, the specific role of bilateral EM in alleviating trauma-related symptoms is unclear. Here we hypothesize that bilateral EM selectively disrupts the sensory component of traumatic memories. Nonclinical participants viewed trauma films followed by a bilateral EM intervention or a static Fixation period as a control. The EM intervention disrupted the immediate recognition of sensory memory and subsequently reduced the frequency and vividness of film-related memory intrusions across one week. The EM intervention did not affect the recognition of verbal memories, suggesting a dissociation between sensory and verbal memory disruption. Furthermore, the EM intervention effectively reduced psychophysiological affective responses to film scenes as well as subjective affective ratings of film-related memory intrusions. Together, bilateral EMs are effective in reducing the sensory representation and affective responses of trauma-related memories.
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