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Intrusive visual memories (images), a core feature of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), are typically treated with cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), in which patients reexperience the memories in detail. Based on hypotheses that visuospatial interference might shift memory reconsolidation, investigators in Germany studied 20 inpatients with complex PTSD (19 women; mean age, 33; median stay, 7 weeks).
Overall, 70% had childhood abuse histories, 85% had current major depression, and 75% were taking psychotropic medications; exclusions were recent substance abuse and active suicidality. Treatment as usual (TAU) involved weekly individual CBT and multiple group therapy sessions each week.
The program involved keeping diaries for describing…