Abstract
Mental Time Travel in Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder: Current Gaps and Future Directions.
Highlights
Exposure to potentially traumatic events is a common experience throughout the world
autobiographical memories (AMs) are critical for wellbeing and functioning, as they are implicated in numerous clinically-relevant processes, including problem-solving; the creation of self-concept; and the formation and maintenance of social-bonds (Bluck et al, 2005)— all processes that are dysregulated in Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) (e.g., Lord et al, 2020)
In addition to overgeneral memory (OGM), other AM alterations have been implicated in PTSD, including changes in the emotional intensity associated with the recollection of a particular type of memory (e.g., Rubin, 2010; Niziurski et al, 2017); variations in the availability and coherence of different memory types (e.g., Rubin et al, 2008); increases in intrusive, emotionally-laden memories and prospections (e.g., Berntsen and Rubin, 2015); and greater centrality of traumatic experiences to self-identity (e.g., Berntsen and Rubin, 2006)
Summary
Exposure to potentially traumatic events is a common experience throughout the world. This theory suggests that EFT relies on the flexible recombination of information drawn from past experiences to construct novel future scenarios While this scenario construction can be adaptive for processes such as planning and goal-attainment, clinically-relevant biases in AM may contribute to the onset and maintenance of various disorders, including PTSD (Hallford et al, 2018). Changes in MTT may reflect a mechanism underlying several mental health disorders, both the study and the treatment of PTSD have long focused on potential changes in the characteristics and content in AM. Given this history and the long-standing debates related to the role of memory in this disorder, as well as the targeted use of AM in treatments (e.g., Brewin, 2011), this commentary will be limited to PTSD. It is our hope that this piece will shed light on an understudied cognitive process and underscore areas where additional research may broaden our understanding of PTSD pathogenesis and eventually inform the development of future PTSD treatments
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