Hypnotic Cognitive Therapy Reduce Acute & Chronic SCI Pain in Inpatient Rehabilitation

Summary

Chronic spinal cord injury (SCI) pain is complex and difficult to treat. For individuals with SCI, pain often begins early in the course of their SCI and continues longitudinally. Unfortunately, SCI-related pain is frequently not responsive to medical treatment and medical treatments that are available and commonly used, such as opioids, have negative side-effects and risk of addiction. Nonpharmacological (non-medication) interventions to reduce chronic pain show promise both for individuals with SCI as well as other chronic pain conditions. Research on psychological interventions for chronic pain over the past two decades has consistently found these interventions to be more effective than no treatment, standard care, pain education, or relaxation training alone. However, many of these interventions are designed and implemented in outpatient settings after chronic pain has already developed. The development of early, effective, and preventative interventions to reduce the development of chronic pain has the potential to vastly improve quality of life for individuals with SCI.

Having demonstrated the feasibility and acceptance of this treatment in an earlier study, the purpose of this randomized clinical trial is to compare the treatment of Hypnosis Enhanced Cognitive (HYPCT) therapy to Pain Education (ED) for reducing acute and chronic pain for individuals with new spinal cord injuries. The main goals of the study are to:

* Aim 1: Test the effectiveness of HYPCT during inpatient rehabilitation for SCI compared to a ED for reducing current pain intensity.
* Aim 2: Determine the post-intervention impact of HYPCT sessions compared to ED on average pain intensity.

Participants will be asked to:

* Complete 4 surveys over seven months
* Complete pre and post treatment pain assessments for each of 4 treatment/control sessions

Participants will be assigned to one of two groups for treatment and receive either:

* 4 Hypnotic Cognitive therapy sessions or
* 4 Pain Education sessions

Conditions

• Spinal Cord Injuries
• Pain, Chronic
• Spinal Cord Injury, Acute

Interventions

BEHAVIORAL

Hypnosis enhanced cognitive behavioral therapy

This therapy entails subjects being induced into a state of relaxation and the receiving cognitive behavioral therapy for pain associated with a new spinal cord injury.

BEHAVIORAL

Pain Education

This therapy entails subjects learning about the causes, mechanisms, and ways to reduce pain associated with a new spinal cord injury.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• The Craig H. Neilsen Foundation

  collaborator OTHER

• University of Washington

  lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

• Amy J Starosta, PhD · University of Washington

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

TREATMENT

Masking

SINGLE

Model

PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age

16 Years

Max Age

85 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2023-09-18

Primary Completion

2026-07-30

Completion

2026-07-30

Countries

• United States

Study Locations