Cochrane analysts examined five randomized, controlled trials of the efficacy of exercise therapy for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) and found that after 12 weeks, those receiving exercise therapy were less fatigued than the control participants (SMD -0.77, 95% CIs -1.26 to -0.28).  Additionally, physical functioning was significantly improved with exercise therapy (SMD -0.64, CIs -0.96 to -0.33) but there were more dropouts with exercise therapy (RR 1.73, CIs 0.92 to 3.24). 

Investigators from the Department of Medicine at the University of Washington in Seattle looked at patterns of alternative medicine use among twins where one twin of the pair had CFS and the other did not.  They also looked at the perceived helpfulness of these methods, and how often these therapies were discussed with physicians.

Researchers from Cheju National University in Korea performed a meta-analysis to evaluate the effectiveness of various kinds of job stress management interventions.   From 46 studies, six intervention types were distinguished: cognitive-behavioral interventions (CBT), relaxation techniques (RT), exercise (EX), multimodal programs 1 and 2(MT1, 2), and organization focused interventions (OTs).

In a small pilot study, researchers from the Department of Psychiatry, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, examined the efficacy of Mindfulness-based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) for Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD).  Cognitive behavioral therapy alone rr5has been found effective for GAD, but can leave residual symptoms.  This MBCT intervention added a mindfulness component, based on the methods of Jon Kabat-Zin, along with more standard cognitive strategies, in a group context, to see if this combination might yield greater efficacy.

Romanian researchers from Babes-Bolyai University in Cluj, Romania, undertook a randomized clinical trial to investigate the relative efficacy of rational-emotive behavior therapy (REBT), cognitive therapy (CT), and pharmacotherapy in the treatment of 170 outpatients with nonpsychotic, major depressive disorder.

The patients were randomly assigned to one of the following: 14 weeks of REBT, 14 weeks of CT, or 14 weeks of pharmacotherapy (fluoxetine or prozac). The outcome measures used were the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression and the Beck Depression Inventory.

Sports performance researchers from the  Centre de Recherche et d'Innovation sur le Sport (C.R.I.S.), Université Claude Bernard in Lyon, France, sought evidence that mental imagery of motor function (MI) is accompanied by improvements in intramuscular conduction velocity (CV).

The investigators  assessed surface electromyographic (EMG) activity of 3 muscles during elbow flexion and extension. Thirty right-handed participants were asked to either lift or to imagine lifting a weighted dumbbell under 3 types of muscular contractions: concentric, isometric and eccentric.
 

Researchers from Hospital Universitario de Canarias, Spain., examined the efficacy of treating agoraphobia with virtual reality techniques as an alternative to the in-vivo exposure component of Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy.

Twenty-seven patients with agoraphobia were randomly distributed into two groups of psychoactive drugs (paroxetine and venlafaxine, AKA  Paxil and Effexor) and into two cognitive- behavioral procedures (with or without exposure to VRET). Seven virtual situations were used.

Researchers from the Niehoff School of Nursing, Loyola University of Chicago, used a non-randomized, controlled design to evaluate the effect and feasibility of a mindfulness based stress reduction (MBSR) program on immune function, quality of life (QOL), and coping in women newly diagnosed with breast cancer.

Early stage breast cancer patients, who did not receive chemotherapy, self-selected into an 8-week MBSR program or into an assessment-only control group. Outcomes were evaluated over time. The first assessment was at least 10 days after surgery and prior to adjuvant therapy, as well as before the MBSR start-up. Further assessments were mid-MBSR, at completion of MBSR, and at 4-week post-MBSR completion.

A reviewer at the Michael E. DeBakey Veterans Administration Medical Center in Houston, Texas, reports on the value of pharmaceuticals for posttraumatic stress, and particularly of alpha-blockers for PTSD-related sleep disturbances. 

The article reports that an estimated 70-87% of patients who suffer from posttraumatic stress experience sleep disruption – difficulty falling asleep and staying asleep, as well as distressing nightmares in which the traumatic event is reexperienced.  Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI’s such as Zoloft, Prozac, Luvox, Celexa, Paxil, etc) are the pharmaceutical treatment of choice for PTSD, but with the exception of fluvoxamine (Luvox), they are often ineffective or only partially effective for sleep problems.

Researchers from the University of Hartford reviewed the findings to see if a high level of hypnotic suggestibility (considered a stable individual trait) is necessary for a hypnotic pain intervention to relieve headache pain.

Higher suggestibility has been found to be associated with greater relief from hypnotic pain interventions, and although individuals in the high suggestibility range show the strongest response to hypnotic analgesia, people of medium suggestibility (who represent approximately one third of the population) also have been found to obtain significant relief from hypnosis.

The researchers conclude that high hypnotic suggestibility is not necessary for successful hypnotic pain intervention for headache – medium suggestibility works too .  But the available evidence does not support the efficacy of hypnotic pain interventions for people who fall in the low hypnotic suggestibility range.  According to some studies, these subjects may benefit from imaginative analgesia suggestions (guided imagery), or suggestions for pain reduction that are delivered while the person is not under hypnosis.

Citation:  Milling LS. Is high hypnotic suggestibility necessary for successful hypnotic pain intervention? Current Pain and Headache Reports. 2008 Apr;12 (2): pages 98-102. This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it