ReviewCureus2026
Efficacy of Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials Comparing Passive and Active Control Conditions.
Review in Cureus, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
0 citing papers in PubMed.
No citing paper in PubMed yet.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
3 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) is a trauma-focused psychotherapy widely used in the treatment of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), yet its effectiveness across different comparison conditions remains an area of ongoing investigation. This study systematically reviewed and quantitatively synthesized randomized controlled trials (RCTs) identified through searches of PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and PsycINFO for studies published between January 2000 and December 2024, with the final search conducted in August 2025. Study selection was performed through a two-stage screening process by independent reviewers. A total of 11 studies were included in the meta-analysis, which was conducted using a random-effects model. The findings demonstrated that EMDR was associated with a significant reduction in PTSD symptom severity compared with control conditions. Greater effects were observed when compared with passive controls, while effects were smaller and comparable when evaluated against active interventions. Risk of bias was assessed using the Cochrane Risk of Bias (RoB) 2.0 tool, with most studies showing some methodological concerns. Overall, the evidence supports EMDR as an effective treatment for PTSD and highlights the importance of comparator type in interpreting outcomes.
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What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.