Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing Treatment of Nightmares: A Case Report
Matthew Woo
Journal of EMDR Practice and Research 2014 DOI: 10.1891/1933-3196.8.3.129 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Case study Case report Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 1 |
| Population | A single client with depression and chronic nightmares |
| Intervention | Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) |
| Duration | 4 sessions |
| Measures | Outcome Rating Scale |
| Topics | Dreaming |
| Citations | 5 |
| Key findings | Four sessions of EMDR using Luber's (2010) nightmare-processing protocol resolved the client's two nightmare images and moved Outcome Rating Scale scores from the clinical to the nonclinical range by the third session, with improved general well-being. The authors highlight targeting helplessness-related negative cognitions and adapting the positive cognition with a collectivistic orientation as helpful elements. |
Abstract
A single client with depression and chronic nightmares was treated with 4 sessions of eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) and showed a decrease in nightmares and improvement in general well-being. The client’s 2 nightmare images were resolved following Luber’s (2010) protocol for nightmare processing. Treatment effects were measured with the Outcome Rating Scale and showed a shift from the clinical range at pretreatment to the nonclinical range at the third session. The ready improvement and gains of this patient have served to highlight various aspects of the EMDR procedures which have worked well for the client, which included targeting the negative cognitions surrounding the theme of helplessness as well as adapting the positive cognition with a collectivistic orientation.
Comparable studies
Other case reports and case series on dreaming, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lucid Dreaming as a Learnable Skill: A Case Study The author | 1980 | Case study | n = 1 |
| Lucid Dreaming as a Treatment for Recurrent Nightmares People with recurrent nightmares | 2010 | Case study | n = 5 |
| Treating Chronic Nightmares of Sexual Assault Survivors with an Intellectual Disability – Two Descriptive Case Studies Adults with learning disabilities suffering from post-traumatic nightmares | 2006 | Case study | n = 2 |
| Lucid dreaming: Correspondence between dreamed and actual events in one subject during rem sleep A lucid dreamer | 1984 | Case study | n = 1 |
| Lucid dreaming treatment for nightmares: A series of cases. Participants with nightmares | 2003 | Case series | n = 8 |
Citations in the library
Cited by 2
Cites 6
- Sleep and Quality of Life in REM Sleep Parasomnia Humana Press eBooks February 19, 2008
- Best practice guide for the treatment of nightmare disorder in adults. Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine August 1, 2010
- A systematic review of cognitive-behavioral treatment for nightmares: toward a well-established treatment. Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine October 1, 2008
- Clinical management of chronic nightmares: imagery rehearsal therapy. Behavioral Sleep Medicine 2006
- Imagery rehearsal in the treatment of posttraumatic nightmares in Australian veterans with chronic combat-related PTSD: 12-month follow-up data. Journal of Traumatic Stress October 1, 2003
and 1 more in the library