Effectiveness and reliability of hypnosis in stereotaxy: a randomized study

Area of Science:

• Neurosurgery
• Psychology
• Pain Management

Background:

• Parkinson's disease (PD) patients undergoing deep brain stimulation (DBS) may experience pain during stereotactic frame (SF) fixation.
• This study investigates the efficacy of hypnosis in mitigating pain and distress during this procedure.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the role of hypnosis in reducing pain, stress, anxiety, and distress during stereotactic frame fixation in Parkinson's disease patients undergoing awake bilateral subthalamic nucleus (STN) DBS.

Main Methods:

• A randomized study included 19 PD patients, allocated to either a hypnosis group (hypnosis with local anesthesia) or a control group (local anesthesia only).
• Primary outcome was pain perception (Visual Analogue Scale - VAS). Secondary outcomes included stress, anxiety, depression (Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale - HADS), and procedural distress (Peritraumatic Distress Inventory - PDI-13).

Main Results:

• No significant difference in immediate pain (VAS) or distress scores between the hypnosis and control groups.
• However, the hypnosis group showed significantly lower VAS and PDI-13 scores over time during follow-up.
• HADS and PSS scores were similar between groups throughout the study.

Conclusions:

• Hypnosis did not significantly impact immediate pain, anxiety, or distress during stereotactic frame fixation.
• Hypnosis may modulate pain memory, potentially preventing the integration of painful procedures into negative autobiographical memory for PD patients.
• Further randomized controlled studies are needed to confirm these findings.