One of the hallmark symptoms of PTSD is intrusive memories: involuntary mental images or thoughts that are difficult to control, emotionally charged, and disruptive to ongoing cognition. These intrusions are not only a symptom, but also contribute to the development and maintenance of PTSD.

Understanding the mechanisms behind these involuntary memories is important for offering novel insights in our understanding of how intrusions interact and compete within memory systems. Moreover, identifying individual differences may offer insights in how personal traits may shape intrusion susceptibility and memory modulation, which in turn may inform more tailored, accessible interventions. 

This experimental study investigated whether pairing trauma-related content with a video game could reduce involuntary memory intrusions - a phenomenon referred to as the masking effect. Using a within-subjects design, participants completed three sessions on three consecutive days at the lab. Intrusions were assessed both in the laboratory, using Vigilance Intrusion Task (VIT), and in daily life through a ecological 24-hour diary that participants filled in in-between sessions. Additionally, individual differences in sensory imagery ability (Psi-Q) and avoidance-oriented coping style (Brief-COPE) were examined as potential moderators of the hypothesized effect. 

While the hypothesized masking effect was not observed in the main analyses, exploratory findings suggest that individuals low sensory imagery ability and low in avoidance coping may be more susceptible to this substitution effect. These findings offer preliminary insight into the mechanisms of memory interference and carry potential clinical relevance for personalized strategies targeting trauma-related distress.