@article{ref1,
title="Taxing working memory to modulate mental imagery of the 9/11 terrorist attacks following media exposure during childhood: a pilot study in young adult UK  residents",
journal="Anxiety, stress, and coping",
year="2021",
author="Rackham, Libby A. and Lau-Zhu, Alex",
volume="ePub",
number="ePub",
pages="ePub-ePub",
abstract="BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Media trauma in civilians is linked to intrusive imagery-based memory symptoms. We investigated whether mental imagery of the 9/11  terrorist attacks following media exposure is dampened by taxing working memory  (WM). <br><br>METHODS: Forty-five young adult UK residents, who were exposed to the 9/11  terrorist attacks as children via the media, identified a personally-relevant mental  image of the attacks. They were then randomly allocated to: (1) recall + Tetris, (2)  recall + eye movements (EMs), or (3) recall-only. Ratings on imagery vividness and  emotionality were provided at three time points: pre-, post-manipulations, and at  24-hr follow-up. <br><br>RESULTS: Repeated measures ANOVAs revealed that recall + Tetris and  recall + EMs (relative to recall-only) significantly reduced imagery vividness and  emotionality from pre- to post-manipulations, but not to follow-up. LIMITATIONS: A  passive control group is needed to fully rule out the role of natural memory decay;  the follow-up was exploratory and took place outside the laboratory with reduced  experimental control. <br><br>CONCLUSIONS: Aversive memory imagery from media trauma in  civilians can be dampened by taxing WM, at least temporarily, which could be  therapeutically useful. The use of such cognitive techniques may also hold relevance  for public health approaches to address the impact of collective trauma.<p /> <p>Language: en</p>",
language="en",
issn="1061-5806",
doi="10.1080/10615806.2020.1870107",
url="http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/10615806.2020.1870107"
}