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advancedEMDRPTSDPCL-5SUD scaletraumatreatment responseadaptive information processing
A 38-year-old female survivor of a motor vehicle accident three years ago has been receiving Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy for PTSD for the past 12 sessions. At baseline, her PCL-5 score was 58 and her Subjective Units of Disturbance (SUD) rating for the target memory was 9 out of 10. After 12 sessions, her PCL-5 score is 28, and her SUD rating for the index trauma memory is 2 out of 10. She reports she can now drive on highways without panic, her nightmares have decreased from nightly to approximately once per week, and she no longer avoids the intersection where the accident occurred. However, she reports that news stories about car accidents still trigger brief episodes of anxiety lasting 10-15 minutes, and she remains mildly hypervigilant as a passenger in other people's cars. The PMHNP is evaluating the treatment response. Which of the following best represents the appropriate evaluation of EMDR outcomes in this case?
Explanation
Evaluating EMDR outcomes requires integrating multiple measurement domains including validated symptom measures, the EMDR-specific SUD scale, and functional behavioral outcomes. A strong treatment response with residual triggered reactions typically indicates the need for additional sessions targeting related memory network nodes rather than treatment termination or modality change.
Key Takeaway
EMDR evaluation uses the PCL-5 for overall PTSD symptom tracking and SUD ratings for target memory desensitization, with residual triggered responses to related stimuli indicating additional memory network nodes that may benefit from further processing sessions.