Anke Ehlers | University of Oxford (original) (raw)

Papers by Anke Ehlers

Cognitive Therapy and Research, Mar 28, 2007

Psychological Science in the Public Interest, Nov 1, 2003

Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, Apr 1, 2008

Human Brain Mapping

In posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), re‐experiencing of the trauma is a hallmark symptom prop... more In posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), re‐experiencing of the trauma is a hallmark symptom proposed to emerge from a de‐contextualised trauma memory. Cognitive therapy for PTSD (CT‐PTSD) addresses this de‐contextualisation through different strategies. At the brain level, recent research suggests that the dynamics of specific large‐scale brain networks play an essential role in both the healthy response to a threatening situation and the development of PTSD. However, very little is known about how these dynamics are altered in the disorder and rebalanced after treatment and successful recovery. Using a data‐driven approach and fMRI, we detected recurring large‐scale brain functional states with high temporal precision in a population of healthy trauma‐exposed and PTSD participants before and after successful CT‐PTSD. We estimated the total amount of time that each participant spent on each of the states while being exposed to trauma‐related and neutral pictures. We found that PTSD...

Frontiers in Psychiatry, Mar 16, 2022

In den Industriestaaten ist die Gesundheitsversorgung der Bevolkerung im Laufe dieses Jahrhundert... more In den Industriestaaten ist die Gesundheitsversorgung der Bevolkerung im Laufe dieses Jahrhunderts entscheidend verbessert worden. So stellen etwa infektiose und parasitare Krankheiten in der Bundesrepublik Deutschland heute nur noch 0,6% der Todesursachen dar. Zu den wichtigsten Aufgaben des Gesundheitssystems gehort daher heute nicht mehr die Behandlung akuter, monokausaler Krankheiten, sondern die Therapie chronischer, eher multifaktoriell bedingter Syndrome. Es ist durch die neuere Forschung deutlich geworden, daβ bei solchen Storungen psychische Aspekte eine entscheidende Rolle spielen. Dies auβert sich zum einen im Einfluβ einer gesundheitsschadigenden Lebensfuhrung an vielen Erkrankungen. So zeigt beispielsweise die Forschung zu koronaren Herzkrankheiten, der weitaus haufigsten Todesursache, daβ die wichtigsten Risikofaktoren in vermeidbaren Verhaltensweisen wie Rauchen oder falscher Ernahrung bestehen.

Cognitive Therapy and Research, Nov 30, 2018

Psychological Medicine, Jun 28, 2016

Take-down policy If you believe that this document breaches copyright please contact us providing... more Take-down policy If you believe that this document breaches copyright please contact us providing details, and we will remove access to the work immediately and investigate your claim.

Journal of Traumatic Stress, Feb 1, 2008

Archives of General Psychiatry, Oct 1, 2003

Springer eBooks, 2015

In the initial days and weeks after a traumatic event, most people will experience at least some ... more In the initial days and weeks after a traumatic event, most people will experience at least some symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) such as intrusive memories, sleep disturbance, feeling emotionally numb, or being easily startled (Rothbaum et al. 1992). Most people will recover in the ensuing months, but for some the symptoms persist, often for years. What prevents these people from recovering? A lesson that we learned in treating and interviewing many trauma survivors is that what people find most distressing about a traumatic event varies greatly from person to person. Understanding the personal meanings of trauma and their relationship with features of trauma memories appears key to helping people with PTSD.

Journal of Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry, Jun 1, 2013

Background: Intrusive reexperiencing in posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is commonly triggere... more Background: Intrusive reexperiencing in posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is commonly triggered by stimuli with perceptual similarity to those present during the trauma. Information processing theories suggest that perceptual processing during the trauma and enhanced perceptual priming contribute to the easy triggering of intrusive memories by these cues. Methods: Healthy volunteers (N ¼ 51) watched neutral and trauma picture stories on a computer screen. Neutral objects that were unrelated to the content of the stories briefly appeared in the interval between the pictures. Dissociation and data-driven processing (as indicators of perceptual processing) and state anxiety during the stories were assessed with self-report questionnaires. After filler tasks, participants completed a blurred object identification task to assess priming and a recognition memory task. Intrusive memories were assessed with telephone interviews 2 weeks and 3 months later. Results: Neutral objects were more strongly primed if they occurred in the context of trauma stories than if they occurred during neutral stories, although the effect size was only moderate ðh p 2 ¼ :08Þ and only significant when trauma stories were presented first. Regardless of story order, enhanced perceptual priming predicted intrusive memories at 2-week follow-up (N ¼ 51), but not at 3 months (n ¼ 40). Datadriven processing, dissociation and anxiety increases during the trauma stories also predicted intrusive memories. Enhanced perceptual priming and data-driven processing were associated with lower verbal intelligence. Limitations: It is unclear to what extent these findings generalize to real-life traumatic events and whether they are specific to negative emotional events. Conclusions: The results provide some support for the role of perceptual processing and perceptual priming in reexperiencing symptoms.

http://isrctn.com/, Sep 13, 2021