Investigation of Traumatic Components of Panic Attack Memories and Imagery Rescripting Intervention for Traumatic Panic Attack Memories
Investigation of Traumatic Components of Panic Attack Memories and Imagery Rescripting Intervention for Traumatic Panic Attack Memories
The current project consists of two studies investigating the phenomenological characteristics, centrality levels, and traumatic symptoms of panic attack memories, while testing the effectiveness of the Imagery Rescripting (ImRs) intervention in the treatment of panic disorder.
The first study investigates whether panic attack memories share similar phenomenological features, centrality levels, and physiological responses with classic traumatic memories and general negative life event memories in a sample of 152 participants.
The second study is a randomized controlled trial (RCT) involving 32 participants diagnosed with panic disorder based on DSM-5 criteria. Participants are randomly assigned to either an Imagery Rescripting (ImRs) intervention group or a control group. The primary objective is to evaluate the clinical effectiveness of a 6-session ImRs protocol in reducing panic disorder symptoms and physiological arousal associated with panic attack memories.
Inclusion Criteria:
Being aged between 18 and 65 years. Voluntarily agreeing to participate in the study and providing informed consent.
Being fluent in written and spoken Turkish. Having a current diagnosis of Panic Disorder according to DSM-5 criteria, confirmed by a psychiatrist.
Answering "No" to the traumatic event screening question regarding the index panic memory (i.e., the panic memory does not involve exposure to actual or threatened death, serious injury, or physical threat).
Exclusion Criteria:
Being under 18 or over 65 years of age. Inability or unwillingness to provide informed consent. Insufficient Turkish literacy. Absence of a current psychiatric diagnosis of Panic Disorder according to DSM-5 criteria.
Having a lifetime diagnosis of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) according to DSM-5 criteria.
Answering "Yes" to the traumatic event screening question (i.e., presence of an explicit Criterion A traumatic event/physical threat in the index memory).
This research project investigates the traumatic properties of panic attack memories and evaluates the therapeutic efficacy of an Imagery Rescripting (ImRs) intervention for individuals diagnosed with Panic Disorder through two interconnected studies. Study 1 utilizes a comparative cross-sectional design with 152 participants to examine the phenomenological characteristics, event centrality, traumatic stress symptom severity, and physiological reactivity of panic attack memories in comparison to classic traumatic memories and negative life event memories. During a structured memory recall and writing task, real-time physiological arousal is recorded via skin conductance and heart rate measurements, followed by the administration of self-report measures including the Autobiographical Memory Characteristics Questionnaire, the Centrality of Event Scale, and the Impact of Event Scale. Building upon these baseline phenomenological findings, Study 2 employs a randomized controlled trial (RCT) design to evaluate the clinical efficacy of Imagery Rescripting in a clinical sample of 32 participants meeting DSM-5 criteria for Panic Disorder. Participants are stratified by gender and randomly assigned to either an Intervention Group (n = 16), receiving a 6-session structured ImRs protocol incorporating psychoeducation, breathing exercises, and healthy adult mode rescripting, or a Control Group (n = 16) serving as a comparison condition. Treatment outcomes across both psychological and physiological domains-assessed via the Autobiographical Memory Characteristics Questionnaire, Centrality of Event Scale, Impact of Event Scale, DSM-5 Panic Disorder Scale, General Self-Efficacy Scale, Panic Self-Efficacy Single-Item Question, and skin conductance/heart rate tracking-are evaluated across three distinct time points: Baseline (Session 1), Post-Intervention (Session 6, following 6 weekly sessions), and a 1-Month Follow-Up (Session 7).