Imagery Rescripting for Traumatic Panic Attack Memories

The current project consists of two studies investigating the phenomenological characteristics, centrality levels, and traumatic symptoms of panic attack memories, while testing the effectiveness of the Imagery Rescripting (ImRs) intervention in the treatment of panic disorder. The first study investigates whether panic attack memories share similar phenomenological features, centrality levels, and physiological responses with classic traumatic memories and general negative life event memories in a sample of 152 participants. The second study is a randomized controlled trial (RCT) involving 32 participants diagnosed with panic disorder based on DSM-5 criteria. Participants are randomly assigned to either an Imagery Rescripting (ImRs) intervention group or a control group. The primary objective is to evaluate the clinical effectiveness of a 6-session ImRs protocol in reducing panic disorder symptoms and physiological arousal associated with panic attack memories.

Inclusion Criteria: Being aged between 18 and 65 years. Voluntarily agreeing to participate in the study and providing informed consent. Being fluent in written and spoken Turkish. Having a current diagnosis of Panic Disorder according to DSM-5 criteria, confirmed by a psychiatrist. Answering "No" to the traumatic event screening question regarding the index panic memory (i.e., the panic memory does not involve exposure to actual or threatened death, serious injury, or physical threat). Exclusion Criteria: Being under 18 or over 65 years of age. Inability or unwillingness to provide informed consent. Insufficient Turkish literacy. Absence of a current psychiatric diagnosis of Panic Disorder according to DSM-5 criteria. Having a lifetime diagnosis of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) according to DSM-5 criteria. Answering "Yes" to the traumatic event screening question (i.e., presence of an explicit Criterion A traumatic event/physical threat in the index memory).