Hellen Hornsveld

Decision-making impairments in women with binge eating disorder in comparison with obese and normal weight women.

OBJECTIVE The purpose of the current study was to examine decision making in female patients with binge eating disorder (BED) in comparison with obese and normal weight women. METHOD In the study, 20 patients with BED, 21 obese women without BED and 34 healthy women participated. Decision making was assessed using the Iowa Gambling Task (IGT). Several questionnaires were administered measuring binge eating severity, sensitivity for punishment and reward, and self-control. RESULTS The findings indicated that the BED and obese group performed poorly on the IGT. Participants who have BED and are obese did not improve their choice behaviour over time, whereas participants with normal weight showed a learning effect. An association between IGT performance and binge eating severity was found. CONCLUSION This study demonstrates that patients with BED display decision-making deficits on the IGT comparable with other forms of disordered eating. Future research should focus on unravelling the processes underlying the deficits.

Evaluating the Effect of Eye Movements on Positive Memories Such as Those Used in Resource Development and Installation

Resource development and installation (RDI) is an eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR)-related procedure developed to strengthen positive associations in positive and resourceful memories (Korn & Leeds, 2002). This study tested the assumption that bilateral stimulation (horizontal eye movements [EM]) in RDI “appears to lead to spontaneous, rapid increases in affective intensity . . . and to rich, emotionally vivid associations” (Korn & Leeds, p. 1469). This study also tested whether eye movement effects could be better accounted for by working memory or by interhemispheric interaction theory. Fifty-three undergraduate students each recalled three memories of pride, perseverance, and self-confidence. They provided pretest and posttest ratings of each memory for vividness, pleasantness, and experienced strength of the positive quality, before and after performing three simultaneous tasks during recall: horizontal EM, vertical EM, and recall only. Results were fully in line with working memory predictions, with significant decreases for all variables following both eye movement tasks. There was no support for the interhemispheric hypothesis. It is concluded that the effectiveness of bilateral stimulation in RDI is questionable. Clinical implications are discussed.

Emotionality of Loss-Related Memories Is Reduced After Recall Plus Eye Movements But Not After Recall Plus Music or Recall Only

Numerous studies have shown that eye movements during recall of negative memories reduce their emotionality. We investigated whether these findings can be extended specifically to negative memories of loss. Sixty undergraduate students participated and recalled a negative autobiographical memory of loss and performed—in counterbalanced order—three types of tasks: recall-plus-eye-movements, recall-only, and recall-plus-relaxing-music. Recall-plus-music was added to investigate whether reductions in emotionality are associated with relaxation. Levels of emotionality, relaxation, and concentration were assessed before and after each stimulus condition. Participants reported a greater decline in emotionality and concentration after eye movements in comparison to recall-only and recall-with-music. It is concluded that eye movements are effective when negative memories pertain to loss and grief, suggesting possibilities for treatment intervention in individuals suffering from complicated grief.

Stop the use of eye movements in Resource Development and Installation, until their additional value has been proven: a rejoinder to Leeds and Korn (2012)

This brief article responds to Leeds and Korn’s (2012) commentary on our article (Hornsveld et al., 2011) in which we found that eye movements (EMs) during recall of positive and resourceful autobiographic memories (such as those used in resource development and installation [RDI]) led to decreases of (a) vividness, (b) pleasantness, and (c) experienced strength of the intended quality or resource. Hence, we found an opposite effect than what was intended and critically discussed this in our article. In their comments, Leeds and Korn stress their positive clinical experience with RDI and emphasize the limitations of our study. Here we argue that our results, despite their limitations, are fully in line with mounting evidence supporting a working memory account for EMs. Moreover, opposite effects for EMs in the RDI and the safe place procedure accord with several other clinical observations. Given the absence of any confirmatory results, we again advocate, and now even more strongly, to stop the use of EMs in the RDI and safe place procedures until their additional value has been proven.

Reactie op ‘Bulimia nervosa en de bekoring van cue-exposure’

SamenvattingIn het mei-nummer van Dth (1992) trof ik een enthousiast artikel aan over de behandeling van bulimia nervosa met behulp van cueexposure (het langdurig blootstellen aan cues die een eetbui voorspellen). Anita Jansen presenteert een pilot study waarbij zes patiënten die deze nieuwe vorm van behandeling ondergingen het veel beter deden dan zes patiënten die een behandeling kregen gebaseerd op het aanleren van zelfcontroletechnieken (althans op de belangrijkste van de zes afhankelijke variabelen, namelijk eetbuifrequentie).