Memory Recall & Bilateral Target Tracking
Patient holds the traumatic image in mind while following a moving target.
- Eye Mvmt: Stimulation modality (placeholder detail)
- ~1 Hz: Target sweep rate (placeholder detail)
- 0–10: Initial SUD range (placeholder detail)
- ~60 min: Session length (placeholder detail)
Target-tracking setup
Therapist moves a target left-right in front of the patient.
Memory activation
Patient briefly holds the disturbing image, thought, and body sensation.
Baseline distress
A baseline SUD rating anchors progress across upcoming sets.
Placeholder key insight about baseline distress capture.
Bilateral Stimulation & Working Memory Taxation
Tracking the target competes with vivid sensory re-experiencing of the memory.
- High: Working memory load (placeholder detail)
- ~40%: Vividness reduction (placeholder detail)
- Dual-task: Task type (placeholder detail)
- Gradual: Emotionality drop (placeholder detail)
Competing resources
Eye tracking and memory recall draw on shared cognitive resources.
Vividness decay
Divided attention blurs image clarity and emotional intensity.
Set structure
Short stimulation sets alternate with brief patient check-ins.
Placeholder key insight about dual-task resource competition.
Memory Reconsolidation Window
Reactivated memories briefly destabilize and can be re-stored in altered form.
- Hours: Window duration (placeholder detail)
- Labile: Trace state (placeholder detail)
- Altered: Restabilization (placeholder detail)
- Diverge: Content vs. affect (placeholder detail)
Labile state
Retrieval unlocks the memory trace for temporary modification.
Dual-task interference
Bilateral stimulation biases how the memory is re-stored.
Re-storage outcome
Facts remain, but emotional coding shifts toward neutral.
Placeholder key insight about reconsolidation windows.
Progressive SUD Reduction Within Session
Each additional stimulation set nudges the distress rating further downward.
- 0–10: Sets per session (placeholder detail)
- Curved: SUD decline shape (placeholder detail)
- 0–1: Target end SUD (placeholder detail)
- Per set: Check-in frequency (placeholder detail)
Set-by-set rating
Therapist asks for a fresh SUD score after every set.
Diminishing distress
Distress typically falls fastest in the earliest sets.
Session endpoint
Sets continue until SUD plateaus near zero.
Placeholder key insight about within-session SUD decline.
Outcome Across Multiple Sessions
Across sessions the memory keeps its facts but loses emotional charge.
- 6–8: Sessions to stabilize (placeholder detail)
- Near 0: Long-term SUD (placeholder detail)
- Retained: Memory content (placeholder detail)
- Reduced: Emotional charge (placeholder detail)
Cumulative effect
Each session starts lower than the last on distress.
Content preserved
Factual memory details remain intact and recallable.
Charge dissipated
Emotional intensity fades toward a neutral baseline.
Placeholder key insight about cross-session desensitization.