title: Hypnosis for treatment of HIV neuropathic pain: a preliminary report.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Painful HIV distal sensory polyneuropathy (HIV-DSP) is the most common nervous system disorder in HIV patients. The symptoms adversely affect patients' quality of life and often diminish their capacity for independent self-care. No interventions have been shown to be consistently effective in treating the disorder. The purpose of the present study was to determine whether hypnosis could be a useful intervention in the management of painful HIV-DSP.
  
  
  METHODS
  Participants were 36 volunteers with HIV-DSP who received three weekly training sessions in self-hypnosis. Participants were followed for pain and its sequelae for 7 weeks prior to the intervention, and for 7 weeks postintervention. Participants remained on the same standard-of-care pain regimen for the entire 17 weeks of the protocol. The primary outcome measure was the Short Form McGill Pain Questionnaire cale (SFMPQ) total pain score. Other outcome measures assessed changes in affective state and quality of life.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Mean SFMPQ total pain scores were reduced from 17.8 to 13.2 (F[1, 35] = 16.06, P < 0.001). The reductions were stable throughout the 7-week postintervention period. At exit, 26 out of 36 (72%) had improved pain scores. Of the 26 who improved, mean pain reduction was 44%. Improvement was found irrespective of whether or not participants were taking pain medications. There was also evidence for positive changes in measures of affect and quality of life.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Brief hypnosis interventions have promise as a useful and well-tolerated tool for managing painful HIV-DSP meriting further investigation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York 10029-6574, USA. david.dorfman@mssm.edu
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Dorfman
authors.forename: Mary Catherine
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: George
authors.forename: Julie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Schnur
authors.forename: David M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Simpson
authors.forename: George
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Davidson
authors.forename: Guy
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Montgomery
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001007:Anxiety / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology; D002908:Chronic Disease; D003863:Depression / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000150:complications*; D006801:Humans; D006990:Hypnosis; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009437:Neuralgia / Q000209:etiology* / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D010147:Pain Measurement; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D011788:Quality of Life; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D019562:Viral Load
keywords: HIV; Hypnosis; Neuropathy; Pain