Bhatt RR, et al. – An appraisal was performed of the effects of hypnosis on peripheral blood flow, pain threshold, tolerance, and intensity in adults with and without sickle–cell disease (SCD). It was determined that peripheral vasoconstriction played a role in the development of vaso–occlusive pain crises (VOCs). Hence, the data yielded support for advanced laboratory and clinical analysis of the effects of cognitive–behavioral neuromodulatory interventions on pain responses and peripheral vascular flow in the study cohort. Hypnosis could increase peripheral vasodilation during both the anticipation and experience of pain. These results warranted additional inspection of the hypnosis effects. This would aid in identifying the unique effects of hypnosis and potential advantages of integrating cognitive–behavioral neuromodulatory interventions into SCD treatment.

Methods

• The eligible candidates included 14 patients with SCD and 14 healthy controls.
• The enrollees underwent three laboratory pain tasks before and during a 30-minute hypnosis session.
• Analysis was performed of the peripheral blood flow, pain threshold, tolerance, and intensity before and during hypnosis.

Results

• A single 30-minute hypnosis session decreased pain intensity by a moderate amount in patients with SCD.
• An increase was noted in the pain threshold and tolerance, after hypnosis in the control group, but not in patients with SCD.
• Patients with SCD displayed lower baseline peripheral blood flow and a greater increase in blood flow following hypnosis than controls.