Trials / Not Yet Recruiting
Not Yet RecruitingNCT07206381
Effects of EMDR on Psychological Symptoms and EEG Findings in Trauma-Exposed Individuals
EMDR Group Therapy for Earthquake-Exposed Trauma Survivors: A Randomized Trial of Psychological and QEEG Outcomes
- Status
- Not Yet Recruiting
- Phase
- N/A
- Study type
- Interventional
- Enrollment
- 40 (estimated)
- Sponsor
- Istanbul Galata University · Academic / Other
- Sex
- All
- Age
- 18 Years – 50 Years
- Healthy volunteers
- Not accepted
Summary
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.
Detailed 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.
Conditions
- PTSD - Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
- Depression
- Anxiety Disorders and Symptoms
- Sleep Quality
- Quality of Life
Interventions
| Type | Name | Description |
|---|---|---|
| BEHAVIORAL | Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) Group Therapy | Sessions conducted in groups with one therapist and one co-therapist; each session follows the EMDR standard protocol. |
Timeline
- Start date
- 2026-03-04
- Primary completion
- 2026-05-30
- Completion
- 2026-08-15
- First posted
- 2025-10-03
- Last updated
- 2026-01-30
Source: ClinicalTrials.gov record NCT07206381. Inclusion in this directory is not an endorsement.