Use of Neurofeedback to Enhance Response to Hypnotic Analgesia in Individuals With Multiple Sclerosis.

This proof of principle study examined the potential benefits of EEG neurofeedback for increasing responsiveness to self-hypnosis training for chronic pain management. The study comprised 20 individuals with multiple sclerosis (MS) who received 5 sessions of self-hypnosis training--1 face-to-face session and 4 prerecorded sessions. Participants were randomly assigned to have the prerecorded sessions preceded by either (a) EEG biofeedback (neurofeedback) training to increase left anterior theta power (NF-HYP) or (b) a relaxation control condition (RLX-HYP). Eighteen participants completed all treatment sessions and assessments. NF-HYP participants reported greater reductions in pain than RLX-HYP participants. The findings provide support for the potential treatment-enhancing effects of neurofeedback on hypnotic analgesia and also suggest that effective hypnosis treatment can be provided very efficiently.

The Associations Between Pain-related Beliefs, Pain Intensity, and Patient Functioning: Hypnotizability as a Moderator.

OBJECTIVES: On the basis of the idea that thoughts held about pain may represent "self-suggestions" and evidence indicating that people with higher levels of trait hypnotizability are more responsive to suggestions, the current study evaluated hypothesized moderating effects of hypnotizability on the associations between pain-related thoughts and both pain intensity and pain interference. METHODS: Eighty-five individuals with chronic pain were given measures of hypnotizability, pain intensity, pain interference, and pain-related thoughts (control beliefs, catastrophizing). RESULTS: Analyses supported a moderating role of hypnotizability on the association between control beliefs and pain interference. Specifically, the negative association between pain control beliefs and pain interference were stronger among those with higher trait hypnotizability than between those with lower trait hypnotizability. DISCUSSION: The study findings, if replicated in additional samples of individuals with chronic pain, have important clinical and theoretical implications. For example, if trait hypnotizability is found to predict an individual's response to a particular technique of cognitive therapy-such as focusing on and repeating pain control belief self-statements-measures of hypnotizability could be used to identify individuals who might be most responsive to this technique. The current findings indicate that research to further examine this possibility is warranted.