Diepold, J.H. Jr., Goldstein, D. · Traumatology · 2008
Reassessment of brain wave patterns immediately after TFT diagnosis and treatment revealed the previous abnormal pattern was altered and no longer statistically abnormal; 18-month follow-up indicated continued freedom from emotional upset regarding the treated trauma.
A qEEG reading of brainwave activity tied to a specific traumatic memory is about as close to photographing a piece of psychological pain as neuroscience gets, and in this one patient, that abnormal pattern normalized right after a single tapping-based session and stayed normal eighteen months later. A single case can't prove cause and effect, but a brainwave pattern that changes and holds for a year and a half is a striking biological data point.
If a pattern like this were replicated across more patients, it would support using tapping as an early, self-administered or briefly clinician-guided step for people carrying a specific, identifiable traumatic memory, something that could be taught in one session rather than requiring months of ongoing treatment, extending trauma care to people who can't commit to a long therapy course.
This single case cries out for a proper repeated-measures study: recruit a group of patients with trauma-linked abnormal qEEG patterns, treat them with tapping, and track brainwave normalization at multiple time points — immediately, weeks, and months later — to see how often the pattern holds versus reverts. Comparing qEEG changes against self-reported distress over the same timeline would also clarify whether the brainwave normalization leads emotional recovery, follows it, or moves in lockstep.
| Design | Case series |
|---|---|
| Participants | 1 people |
| Population | one patient with trauma-related abnormal brain wave patterns |
| Comparison group | trauma-related recall vs neutral (baseline) event |
| Outcome measures | quantitative electroencephalography (qEEG) |
| Journal | Traumatology |
| Year | 2008 |
| Language | English |
| Method | Thought Field Therapy (related tapping method) |
| Publication type | Case report |
| Verification | ✓ Confirmed against the primary source |
Diepold, J.H. Jr., & Goldstein, D. (2008). Thought field therapy and qEEG changes in the treatment of trauma: A case study. Traumatology. https://doi.org/10.1177/1534765608325304
This record is part of the Tapping Evidence Base — an openly-sourced, fully-referenced directory of the research on EFT/tapping. Explore more studies on PTSD & Trauma
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