Cognitive-behavioral therapy for noncardiac chest pain: a randomized trial.
OBJECTIVE
Patients with nonischemic chest pain frequently experience recurrent symptoms, have persistent functional and occupational disability, and are high utilizers of health-care resources. Our aim was to evaluate the efficacy of a cognitive-behavioral treatment for patients with noncardiac chest pain.


METHODS
Subjects were recruited from patients with at least weekly episodes of noncardiac chest pain, as diagnosed by a cardiologist. The main outcome measures were frequency and intensity of chest pain at 6 and 12 months.


RESULTS
Seventy-two patients were enrolled in the study; 37 were assigned to cognitive-behavior therapy and 35 to usual care. Sixty-five patients completed the study. Intervention patients improved significantly with regard to frequency and intensity of chest pain: 15 (48%) of the 31 patients in the treatment group were pain free at 12-month follow-up compared with 4 (13%) of the 33 patients in the control group (P = 0.002).


CONCLUSIONS
Cognitive-behavioral therapy for noncardiac chest pain patients was effective compared with usual care.
van Peski-Oosterbaan
A S
AS
Department of Psychiatry, Leiden University Medical Center, Oegstgeest, The Netherlands.
Spinhoven
P
P
van Rood
Y
Y
van der Does
J W
JW
Bruschke
A V
AV
Rooijmans
H G
HG
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001521:Behavior Therapy; D002637:Chest Pain / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy*; D015928:Cognitive Behavioral Therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome