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The Effect of Sleep on Intrusive Memories in Daily Life: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Trauma Film Experiments

Davidson, Per LU and Marcusson-Clavertz, David LU (2022) In Sleep
Abstract
Study objectives: Following traumatic events, people frequently experience distressing, involuntary memories of them (i.e., intrusions). Accumulating evidence suggests that sleep facilitates voluntary memory retrieval by supporting memory consolidation, but it is less clear what effect sleep has on intrusions. Recent research has used distressing film clips as a proxy for traumatizing events and examined whether sleep affects intrusions by prompting participants to record diaries of intrusions across several days after viewing the trauma film. We sought to synthesize the literature on sleep and intrusions by performing a meta-analysis.
Methods: A total of 7 effect sizes from 6 independent studies were included in two meta-analyses... (More)
Study objectives: Following traumatic events, people frequently experience distressing, involuntary memories of them (i.e., intrusions). Accumulating evidence suggests that sleep facilitates voluntary memory retrieval by supporting memory consolidation, but it is less clear what effect sleep has on intrusions. Recent research has used distressing film clips as a proxy for traumatizing events and examined whether sleep affects intrusions by prompting participants to record diaries of intrusions across several days after viewing the trauma film. We sought to synthesize the literature on sleep and intrusions by performing a meta-analysis.
Methods: A total of 7 effect sizes from 6 independent studies were included in two meta-analyses examining the effect of sleep (n=192) compared to wake (n=175) on a) the number of intrusions and b) the mean distress associated with them.
Results: There was a small significant effect where sleep reduced the number of intrusive memories (Hedges’ g = -0.26, p = .04, 95% CI [-0.50, -0.01]). Sleep did not significantly affect the average distress associated with intrusions (Hedges’ g = -0.14, p = .25, 95% CI [-0.38, 0.10]).
Conclusions: Although sleep appears to reduce the number of intrusive memories of distressing films, high-powered studies are needed to examine the reproducibility of this effect. We discuss to which extent this effect is caused by sleep affecting the consolidation of these memories, and to which extent sleep simply makes it easier to consciously control which memories enter into awareness. (Less)
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type
Contribution to journal
publication status
in press
subject
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Sleep
publisher
Oxford University Press
ISSN
1550-9109
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
2d9e316a-4a2e-47cd-91b2-f61843b7ee01
date added to LUP
2022-11-17 17:12:58
date last changed
2023-02-22 10:10:19
@article{2d9e316a-4a2e-47cd-91b2-f61843b7ee01,
  abstract     = {{Study objectives: Following traumatic events, people frequently experience distressing, involuntary memories of them (i.e., intrusions). Accumulating evidence suggests that sleep facilitates voluntary memory retrieval by supporting memory consolidation, but it is less clear what effect sleep has on intrusions. Recent research has used distressing film clips as a proxy for traumatizing events and examined whether sleep affects intrusions by prompting participants to record diaries of intrusions across several days after viewing the trauma film. We sought to synthesize the literature on sleep and intrusions by performing a meta-analysis.<br/>Methods: A total of 7 effect sizes from 6 independent studies were included in two meta-analyses examining the effect of sleep (n=192) compared to wake (n=175) on a) the number of intrusions and b) the mean distress associated with them. <br/>Results: There was a small significant effect where sleep reduced the number of intrusive memories (Hedges’ g = -0.26, p = .04, 95% CI [-0.50, -0.01]). Sleep did not significantly affect the average distress associated with intrusions (Hedges’ g = -0.14, p = .25, 95% CI [-0.38, 0.10]).<br/>Conclusions: Although sleep appears to reduce the number of intrusive memories of distressing films, high-powered studies are needed to examine the reproducibility of this effect. We discuss to which extent this effect is caused by sleep affecting the consolidation of these memories, and to which extent sleep simply makes it easier to consciously control which memories enter into awareness.}},
  author       = {{Davidson, Per and Marcusson-Clavertz, David}},
  issn         = {{1550-9109}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  publisher    = {{Oxford University Press}},
  series       = {{Sleep}},
  title        = {{The Effect of Sleep on Intrusive Memories in Daily Life: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Trauma Film Experiments}},
  year         = {{2022}},
}