NCT03950869

The Role of Expectations in the Development of Intrusive Memories

The Role of Expectations in the Development of Intrusive Memories: An Experimental Approach Using the Trauma Film Paradigm

• Status: Completed
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 90 (actual)
• Sponsor: Philipps University Marburg · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 18 Years – 65 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Accepted

Summary

In the experimental study, the well-established trauma film paradigm will be used to investigate the impact of expectations on the development of intrusive memories as a hallmark symptom of PTSD.

Detailed description

The study aims to examine the influence of different expectations on the development of intrusive memories by using a well-established experimental paradigm - the trauma film paradigm. In healthy volunteers, intrusion-like symptoms are to be induced with an analogue stressor, i.e., aversive film clip footage (trauma film). After viewing this so-called trauma film, the expectations of intrusions during the following week are manipulated by assigning participants randomly to three different groups. In the first group, negative expectations are induced (experimental group 1), the second group is exposed to positive expectations (experimental group 2) and a third group does not face any kind of manipulation of their expectations (control group). Participants are asked to report occurring intrusions in a diary during the following week and are invited to a subsequent cued laboratory inquiry at follow-up.

Conditions

• Posttraumatic Stress Disorder

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
BEHAVIORAL	Positive Expectation Manipulation	Participants are watching a video tape of a trauma expert who provides selective information on the development of intrusive memories. This video tape aims to increase positive expectations.
BEHAVIORAL	Negative Expectation Manipulation	Participants are watching a video tape of a trauma expert who provides selective information on the development of intrusive memories. This video tape aims to increase negative expectations.

Timeline

• Start date: 2019-05-31
• Primary completion: 2019-09-30
• Completion: 2019-12-31
• First posted: 2019-05-15
• Last updated: 2021-09-08

Locations

1 site across 1 country: Germany