title: A randomized controlled pilot study of a cognitive-behavioral therapy approach for painful diabetic peripheral neuropathy.
abstract: The purpose of the present pilot study was to assess the efficacy of cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) for painful diabetic peripheral neuropathy. This was a randomized, treatment as usual (TAU), controlled, nonblinded intervention pilot study with a 4-month follow-up conducted in a VA medical center. It was hypothesized that participants who received CBT, as compared to those who received TAU, would report significant decreases on self-report measures of pain severity, interference, and depressive symptoms from pretreatment to 4-month follow-up. Participants meeting inclusion criteria were randomly assigned to 1 of the study conditions. Of the 20 eligible participants, 12 were randomized to CBT and 8 were randomized to TAU. Participants randomized to CBT showed significant decreases on measures of pain severity (B = -.54) and pain interference (B = -.77) from pretreatment to 4-month follow-up. There were no significant changes in the TAU participants' scores on measures of pain severity (B = .00) or pain interference (B = -.09). Neither CBT nor TAU participants showed significant changes in their levels of depressive symptoms from pretreatment to 4-month follow-up. CBT may be an effective treatment approach for reducing pain severity and interference associated with painful diabetic peripheral neuropathy.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results of this study suggest that engaging patients in CBT for painful diabetic peripheral neuropathy may provide them the skills to become more active and experience less pain.
authors: VA Boston Healthcare System, Boston, Massachusetts 02130-4893, USA. johnotis@bu.edu
authors: John D
authors: JD
authors: Otis
authors: Kristen
authors: K
authors: Sanderson
authors: Christina
authors: C
authors: Hardway
authors: Michael
authors: M
authors: Pincus
authors: Carlos
authors: C
authors: Tun
authors: Sharona
authors: S
authors: Soumekh
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D015928:Cognitive Behavioral Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D003929:Diabetic Neuropathies / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D016014:Linear Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010147:Pain Measurement; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014728:Veterans