Theories of Working Memory and Consolidation/RECOnsolidation in the Process of Resorption of Post-traumatic Symptoms.

Intrusive thoughts (or intrusions) are recognized as being particularly vivid and emotionally "charged", and constitute one of the transdiagnostic symptoms of numerous disorders such as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), anxiety and depression.

Numerous studies have demonstrated that it is now possible to modulate the persistence of intrusions in memory, as well as their emotional impact, through Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy. EMDR is based on the administration of visual, auditory (sound) or sensory (tapping) Alternating Bilateral Stimulations (ABS). These ABS, which can be self-administered by the patient during the Memory Activation (MA) of an intrusive thought, would reduce the emotionality and vividness of the intrusive symptoms and decrease the associated physiological reactivity.

Recent research claims that the mechanisms of action of ABS involve a joint articulation of both neurobiological (Memory Consolidation/Reconsolidation (M-C/R) and psychological (Working Memory (WM)) theories.

Memory consolidation refers to the transfer of a newly acquired memory trace into WM (fragile and susceptible to forgetting) and its stabilization in Long-Term Memory (LTM). Consolidation involves two processes. The first, synaptic consolidation, requires the triggering of molecular processes operating within a time window of between 10 minutes and 6 hours. The second, called systemic consolidation, can extend over years and takes place mainly during the sleep cycle. Reconsolidation implies that an intrusion, when activated in WM, becomes labile again and must subsequently be consolidated again (reconsolidated) in LTM. A permanent memory can thus be revived, then degraded, notably by the administration of ABS likely to interfere with its reconsolidation in memory.

Working memory (WM) refers to a memory system that enables the temporary retention and processing of information needed to perform complex cognitive tasks. capacity is limited. In fact, the competition of two simultaneous tasks (e.g. BAS administration during the memory activation (MA) of an intrusive thought) implies, in a consequential way, an alteration in its storage performance, as well as a decrease in the emotional load associated with the intrusion. In other words, while WM remains the strongest lead to date, it can only be considered in conjunction with M-C/R theory.

From a clinical/experimental protocol point of view, this link implies compliance with a number of criteria. The first is the temporal criterion for ABS administration (between 10 minutes and 6 hours post-MA), as well as the quantitative criterion relating to the number of MAs (not to exceed 4 MAs). In other words, the application of an interventional methodology that does not meet all these criteria (i.e., administration of ABS performed outside the M-C/R time window and repeated MA of the same intrusion) would induce the involvement of a third process, namely the extinction process. In one study, the application of an extinction protocol performed within the consolidation window (a paradigm known as Retrieval Extinction (P-R/E)) also induced a modification of the initial memory trace. It would therefore seem appropriate to consider the adoption of a tri-processual integrative model involving the joint articulation of Working Memory (WM), Memory Consolidation/Reconsolidation (C/R-M) and the Retrieval Extinction Paradigm (P-R/E). This is why we propose to study, in this research , the role of the application of this tri-processual theoretical modeling on the emotionality and vividness associated with intrusions, as well as on their psychophysiological and psychopathological consequences. Through the use of new technologies, these methodologies could complement conventional psychotherapeutic treatments which, through the self-administration of ABS, could add up and, in fact, potentiate the effectiveness of psychotherapy.