Effectiveness of Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) on Trauma Symptoms and Executive Functions

Esmaeil Sadipour; Mohadese Shamifard

Authors

Esmaeil Sadipour Department of Educational Psychology, Allameh Tabataba’i University, Tehran, Iran. Author https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5984-1320
Mohadese Shamifard Department of Educational Psychology, University of Zanjan, Zanjan, Iran. https://orcid.org/0009-0006-6222-9670

Keywords:

eye movement desensitization and reprocessing, trauma symptoms, posttraumatic stress, working memory, attention

Abstract

Purpose: This study aimed to determine the effectiveness of Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) in reducing trauma-related symptoms and improving working memory, attention, and emotional inhibitory control among trauma-exposed adults.

Methods and Materials: This randomized controlled trial employed a pretest–posttest design with two parallel groups and was conducted in 2026 at Pirooz Counseling Clinic in Tehran, Iran. Forty adults with clinically meaningful trauma-related symptoms were purposively recruited and randomly allocated in a 1:1 ratio to an EMDR intervention group (n = 20) or a wait-list control group (n = 20). The intervention group received eight weekly individual EMDR sessions lasting 45–60 minutes. Outcomes were assessed using the PTSD Checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5), Backward Digit Span, Trail Making Test Part A (TMT-A), and an affective Go/No-Go task. Data were analyzed using 2 × 2 mixed repeated-measures analyses of variance, with Group × Time interactions representing the primary tests of intervention efficacy.

Findings: Significant Group × Time interactions were found for trauma symptoms, F(1, 38) = 34.62, p < .001, ηp² = .477; working memory, F(1, 38) = 18.94, p < .001, ηp² = .333; attention/processing speed, F(1, 38) = 22.17, p < .001, ηp² = .368; and emotional inhibitory control, F(1, 38) = 16.85, p < .001, ηp² = .307. Bonferroni-adjusted posttest comparisons also demonstrated significantly lower PCL-5 scores (p < .001), higher Backward Digit Span scores (p = .001), shorter TMT-A completion times (p = .004), and fewer commission errors (p = .001) in the EMDR group compared with the control group.

Conclusion: Eight sessions of EMDR were effective in reducing trauma-related symptoms and improving multiple domains of executive functioning, including working memory, attention/processing speed, and emotional inhibitory control. These findings suggest that EMDR may provide cognitive as well as clinical benefits for trauma-exposed adults.

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