Intrusive Reexperiencing: The Role of Working Memory Capacity and Thought Suppression

Memory Clinical Trial

Official title:

Intrusive Reexperiencing: The Role of Working Memory Capacity and Thought Suppression

Clinical Trial Details — Status: Completed

Administrative data

• NCT number: NCT01007682
• Other study ID #: 192/09
• Status: Completed
• Phase: N/A
• First received: October 28, 2009
• Last updated: March 7, 2012
• Start date: September 2009
• Est. completion date: October 2011

Study information

• Verified date: March 2012
• Source: University Hospital, Basel, Switzerland
• Contact: n/a
• Is FDA regulated: No
• Health authority: Switzerland: Swissmedic
• Study type: Interventional

Clinical Trial Summary

This study aims at identifying risk factors for the development of intrusive reexperiencing symptoms. In particular, the investigators examine the influence of working memory capacity and thought suppression on the occurrence of unpleasant memories of a negative experience.

Hypothesis: People with high working memory capacities (HWMC) are able to successfully suppress memories of an unpleasant experience (presentation of a distressing movie). In contrast, in people with low working memory capacities (LWMC), attempts to suppress memories of an unpleasant experience inadvertently lead to an increase of these memories.

Study phase one: Assessment of working memory capacity in 200 healthy participants by means of a computerized task. Selection of 50 participants with HWMC and of 50 participants with LWMC who participate in study phase two.

Study phase two: Presentation of a distressing movie and subsequent assessment of memories of the movie during several days in the daily life of participants. Comparison of 4 groups regarding the frequency of instructions in daily life:(group 1: HWMC participants who are instructed to suppress thoughts of the movie, group 2: LWMC participants who are instructed to suppress thoughts of the movie, group 3: HWMC participants who are instructed to allow the occurence of thoughts of the movie, group 4: LWMC participants who are instructed to allow the occurence of thoughts of the movie)

Recruitment information / eligibility

• Status: Completed
• Enrollment: 200
• Est. completion date: October 2011
• Est. primary completion date: July 2011
• Accepts healthy volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers
• Gender: Both
• Age group: 18 Years and older

Eligibility

Inclusion Criteria:

• Older than 17 years

Exclusion Criteria:

• Insufficient knowledge of the German language, for the distressing movie arm of the study: Elevated levels of depression or posttraumatic stress symptoms prior to viewing of the distressing movie

Study Design

Allocation: Randomized, Intervention Model: Factorial Assignment, Masking: Single Blind (Subject), Primary Purpose: Basic Science

Related Conditions & MeSH terms

• Memory

Intervention

Other:
• Show distressing movie and tell half of the two study groups to suppress memories of the movie
A distressing movie is presented to two groups (one group with high and one group with low working memory capacity). For each of the two groups, half of the participants are instructed to suppress thoughts of the movies after viewing it, while the remaining participants are instructed to allow the occurrence of memories of the movie.

Locations

Country	Name	City	State
United States	Harvard University, Department of Psychology	Cambridge	Massachusetts

Sponsors (1)

Lead Sponsor	Collaborator
University Hospital, Basel, Switzerland

Country where clinical trial is conducted

United States, 

Outcome

Type	Measure	Description	Time frame	Safety issue
Primary	Number of intrusive memories		during one week after viewing the distressing movie	No