Chronic pain is a prevalent, disabling problem affecting as many as 116 million adults in the United States.However, there are very few treatment options for chronic pain management, and those that are available areinadequate for the majority of those with this condition. Many also have significant negative side effects or areassociated with significant adverse events. A growing body of research supports the short- and long-termbenefits of hypnosis treatment for chronic pain. Hypnosis treatment has also been shown to have few negativeside effects, while also having additional benefits over and above reductions in pain intensity, includingreductions in anxiety and improvements in sleep quality. However, access to hypnosis treatment is limitedbecause few health care providers are trained in its use. HypnoScientific, Inc. was established to increaseaccess to effective hypnosis treatment by developing and making it available online and via mobile devices,i.e., digital hypnosis. To maximize efficacy, HypnoScientific's products are informed by the findings from a well-established and ongoing research program studying the mechanisms of hypnotic analgesia, including pilotresearch that has tested a hypnosis digital therapeutic prototype. The first aim of the currently proposed PhaseI project is to develop the hypnosis digital therapeutic prototype further by: (1) updating and increasing thenumber of hypnosis media tracks offered, (2) designing a ruleset for content delivery, (3) developing UI/UXstandards to optimize ease of use and efficacy, and (4) developing a content management system consistentwith this ruleset, that would allow content to be provided to individuals with chronic pain via an existingtelehealth company's platform. The project's second aim is to evaluate the feasibility of the technology deliverysystem developed in Aim 1 in a sample of 50 individuals with chronic pain. These individuals will berandomized to having more access (i.e., 8 full weeks) or less access (i.e., 4 weeks of no access followed by 4weeks of access) to the therapeutic, and feasibility variables will be collected during and after the trial. Thefindings from this trial will allow us to determine if the proposed approach for making hypnosis treatment moreaccessible to the millions of individuals who could benefit from it is viable. The findings will also provide datathat will inform the design of a definitive trial testing the technology in a Phase II project.
Public Health Relevance Statement: Project Narrative
Chronic pain remains a significant health problem for over 100 million people in the USA, and the chronic pain
treatments that are available are not adequately effective, are associated with significant adverse events, or
both. Hypnosis treatment is a viable nonpharmacological approach for chronic pain management. This project
aims to take the first steps towards commercializing a treatment approach - digital hypnosis - that could make
effective hypnosis treatment for chronic pain more accessible to the millions of individuals who could benefit
from this approach.
Project Terms: <21+ years old>
