Effects of EMDR on Psychological Symptoms and EEG Findings in Trauma-Exposed Individuals

Istanbul Galata University

Status: Begins enrollment this month

Conditions: Anxiety Disorders and Symptoms; PTSD - Post Traumatic Stress Disorder; Quality of Life; Sleep Quality; Depression

Treatments: Behavioral: Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) Group Therapy

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT07206381

EMDR-EEG-TR-2025

Details and patient eligibility

About

This study will examine the effects of Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) group therapy on adults who experienced the April 2025 Silivri earthquake in Turkey. Participants will be randomly assigned to either an EMDR intervention group or a waitlist control group. Psychological symptoms will be measured using the PTSD Checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5), the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale (DASS-21), the Short Form Health Survey (SF-36), and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). Quantitative EEG (QEEG) recordings will also be collected before and after the intervention to assess changes in brain activity related to emotional regulation and trauma processing. The goal of the study is to evaluate whether EMDR produces both clinical and neurophysiological improvements in trauma-exposed individuals.

Full description

Traumatic experiences often lead to persistent psychological symptoms such as posttraumatic stress, depression, anxiety, and sleep disturbances, which significantly impair quality of life. Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is an evidence-based intervention for trauma-related disorders, and growing evidence suggests that it may also produce measurable changes in brain activity. This randomized controlled trial will evaluate the effects of EMDR group therapy on both clinical outcomes and neurophysiological markers in adults exposed to the April 2025 Silivri earthquake in Turkey.

Forty participants meeting inclusion criteria will be randomly assigned to either an EMDR intervention group (20 participants) or a waitlist control group (20 participants). The intervention group will receive 5-7 sessions of standardized EMDR group therapy, delivered face-to-face by trained therapists. Quantitative EEG (QEEG) recordings will be collected at baseline and after the intervention to assess changes in spectral power, frontal alpha asymmetry, and coherence patterns. Clinical outcomes will be measured with validated self-report instruments assessing PTSD symptoms, depression, anxiety, stress, sleep quality, and overall health-related quality of life.

This study is designed to test the hypothesis that EMDR group therapy produces significant improvements in both psychological symptoms and EEG biomarkers compared to a waitlist control. By integrating subjective self-report and objective neurophysiological data, the trial aims to provide a comprehensive evaluation of EMDR's therapeutic effects in trauma-exposed populations.

Enrollment: 40 estimated patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18 to 50 years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Meeting DSM-5 criteria for posttraumatic stress symptoms following the April 2025 Silivri earthquake
• Age between 18 and 50 years
• Either medication-free for at least 1 month or on a stable dose of psychotropic medication
• No medical contraindications for EEG recording (e.g., no epilepsy, no metal implants)

Exclusion criteria

• Current diagnosis of schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, or a neurological disorder
• Receiving psychotherapy
• Inability to attend sessions regularly due to logistical or cognitive limitations

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)

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40 participants in 2 patient groups

EMDR Group

Experimental group

Description:

Participants will receive 5-7 sessions of Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) group therapy, delivered face-to-face by trained therapists, in line with the standard EMDR protocol. EEG measurements and psychological scales will be administered before and after the intervention.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) Group Therapy

Waitlist Control

No Intervention group

Description:

Participants in this arm will not receive any active psychotherapy intervention during the study period. They will undergo baseline and post-test EEG recordings and psychological assessments at the same time intervals as the experimental group. For ethical reasons, they will be offered EMDR therapy after the study is completed if requested.