The Combinatorial Effects of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy with Aerobic Exercise in the Treatment of Fibromyalgia

In the US alone, the chronic pain condition of fibromyalgia affects approximately 10 million people. Current treatment protocols focus heavily on pharmacological interventions; however, such treatments are unfavorable due to debilitating side effects and a lack of effectiveness in 2/3 of patients. Two non-pharmacological interventions which have been shown to produce meaningful pain relief are Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Aerobic Exercise. However, the combinatorial effects of these treatments have never been fully explored and it is unknown if these treatments interact in an additive manner or if the benefits of one negate the benefits of the other. In this work we conducted a literature review using the databases of Pubmed, OVID MEDLINE, PsychInfo, and Embase from 1995 to May 2020 to determine if the combinatorial effects of these two treatments on pain relief and pain interference are significantly greater than that of aerobic exercise alone. We reviewed over 200 potential articles for relevance. Seven papers were found to directly address our target question, two from the US and five from Europe with sample sizes ranging from 34 to 442. One paper showed improvement in pain intensity and two papers showed improvement in pain interference due to combinatorial treatment over aerobic exercise alone. When evaluating our results, we weighted these papers based on sample size, length of treatment and observation, method of CBT administration, and surveys chosen for data collection. We were unable to definitively show that CBT in combination with aerobic exercise is more effective than aerobic exercise alone at decreasing pain intensity and/or interference in patients with fibromyalgia. However, most of these papers identified several psychological and design based confounding factors that could influence their results. We recommend that more research be conducted in this area to further ascertain the effectiveness of this specific combinatorial treatment for fibromyalgia.

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Clinical Effectiveness and Cost-effectiveness of Videoconference-Based Integrated Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Chronic Pain: Randomized Controlled Trial (Preprint)

10.2196/preprints.30690 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Kayoko Taguchi ◽

Noriko Numata ◽

Rieko Takanashi ◽

Ryo Takemura ◽

Tokiko Yoshida ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Chronic Pain ◽

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy ◽

Pain Intensity ◽

Rating Scale ◽

Numerical Rating Scale ◽

Behavioral Therapy ◽

Controlled Trial ◽

Brief Pain Inventory ◽

Cognitive Behavioral ◽

Pain Interference

BACKGROUND Cognitive behavioral therapy is known to improve the management of chronic pain. However, the components of this therapy are still being investigated and debated. OBJECTIVE This study aimed to examine the effectiveness of an integrated cognitive behavioral therapy program with new components (attention-shift, memory work, video feedback, and image training) delivered via videoconferencing. METHODS This study was unblinded and participants were recruited and assessed face-to-face in the outpatient department. We conducted a randomized controlled trial for chronic pain to compare 16 weekly videoconference-based cognitive behavioral therapy (vCBT) sessions provided by a therapist with treatment as usual (TAU). Thirty patients (age range, 22-75 years) with chronic pain were randomly assigned to either vCBT (n=15) or TAU (n=15). Patients were evaluated at week 1 (baseline), week 8 (midintervention), and week 16 (postintervention). The primary outcome was the change in pain intensity, which was recorded using the numerical rating scale at 16 weeks from the baseline. Secondary outcomes were pain severity and pain interference, which were assessed using the Brief Pain Inventory. Additionally, we evaluated disability, pain catastrophizing cognition, depression, anxiety, quality of life, and cost utility. RESULTS In the eligibility assessment, 30 patients were eventually randomized and enrolled; finally, 15 patients in the vCBT and 14 patients in the TAU group were analyzed. Although no significant difference was found between the 2 groups in terms of changes in pain intensity by the numerical rating scale scores at week 16 from baseline (P=.36), there was a significant improvement in the comprehensive evaluation of pain by total score of Brief Pain Inventory (–1.43, 95% CI –2.49 to –0.37, df=24; P=.01). Further, significant improvement was seen in pain interference by using the Brief Pain Inventory (–9.42, 95% CI –14.47 to –4.36, df=25; P=.001) and in disability by using the Pain Disability Assessment Scale (–1.95, 95% CI –3.33 to –0.56, df=24; P=.008) compared with TAU. As for the Medical Economic Evaluation, the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio for 1 year was estimated at 2.9 million yen (about US $25,000) per quality-adjusted life year gained. CONCLUSIONS The findings of our study suggest that integrated cognitive behavioral therapy delivered by videoconferencing in regular medical care may reduce pain interference but not pain intensity. Further, this treatment method may be cost-effective, although this needs to be further verified using a larger sample size. CLINICALTRIAL University Hospital Medical Information Network UMIN000031124; https://tinyurl.com/2pr3xszb

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Clinical Effectiveness and Cost-effectiveness of Videoconference-Based Integrated Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Chronic Pain: Randomized Controlled Trial

Journal of Medical Internet Research ◽

10.2196/30690 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 23 (11) ◽

pp. e30690

Author(s):

Kayoko Taguchi ◽

Noriko Numata ◽

Rieko Takanashi ◽

Ryo Takemura ◽

Tokiko Yoshida ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Chronic Pain ◽

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy ◽

Pain Intensity ◽

Rating Scale ◽

Numerical Rating Scale ◽

Behavioral Therapy ◽

Controlled Trial ◽

Brief Pain Inventory ◽

Cognitive Behavioral ◽

Pain Interference

Background Cognitive behavioral therapy is known to improve the management of chronic pain. However, the components of this therapy are still being investigated and debated. Objective This study aimed to examine the effectiveness of an integrated cognitive behavioral therapy program with new components (attention-shift, memory work, video feedback, and image training) delivered via videoconferencing. Methods This study was unblinded and participants were recruited and assessed face-to-face in the outpatient department. We conducted a randomized controlled trial for chronic pain to compare 16 weekly videoconference-based cognitive behavioral therapy (vCBT) sessions provided by a therapist with treatment as usual (TAU). Thirty patients (age range, 22-75 years) with chronic pain were randomly assigned to either vCBT (n=15) or TAU (n=15). Patients were evaluated at week 1 (baseline), week 8 (midintervention), and week 16 (postintervention). The primary outcome was the change in pain intensity, which was recorded using the numerical rating scale at 16 weeks from the baseline. Secondary outcomes were pain severity and pain interference, which were assessed using the Brief Pain Inventory. Additionally, we evaluated disability, pain catastrophizing cognition, depression, anxiety, quality of life, and cost utility. Results In the eligibility assessment, 30 patients were eventually randomized and enrolled; finally, 15 patients in the vCBT and 14 patients in the TAU group were analyzed. Although no significant difference was found between the 2 groups in terms of changes in pain intensity by the numerical rating scale scores at week 16 from baseline (P=.36), there was a significant improvement in the comprehensive evaluation of pain by total score of Brief Pain Inventory (–1.43, 95% CI –2.49 to –0.37, df=24; P=.01). Further, significant improvement was seen in pain interference by using the Brief Pain Inventory (–9.42, 95% CI –14.47 to –4.36, df=25; P=.001) and in disability by using the Pain Disability Assessment Scale (–1.95, 95% CI –3.33 to –0.56, df=24; P=.008) compared with TAU. As for the Medical Economic Evaluation, the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio for 1 year was estimated at 2.9 million yen (about US $25,000) per quality-adjusted life year gained. Conclusions The findings of our study suggest that integrated cognitive behavioral therapy delivered by videoconferencing in regular medical care may reduce pain interference but not pain intensity. Further, this treatment method may be cost-effective, although this needs to be further verified using a larger sample size. Trial Registration University Hospital Medical Information Network UMIN000031124; https://tinyurl.com/2pr3xszb

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Feasibility and acceptability of cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) or acupuncture for insomnia and related distress among cancer caregivers

Palliative & Supportive Care ◽

10.1017/s1478951520001017 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 18 (6) ◽

pp. 644-647

Author(s):

Allison J. Applebaum ◽

Kara Buda ◽

Michael A. Hoyt ◽

Kelly Shaffer ◽

Sheila Garland ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy ◽

Treatment Modality ◽

Behavioral Therapy ◽

Informal Caregivers ◽

Cognitive Behavioral ◽

Pharmacological Interventions ◽

Psychological Outcome ◽

Patients With Cancer ◽

The Impact ◽

Preliminary Support

AbstractObjectiveInsomnia is a common, distressing, and impairing psychological outcome experienced by informal caregivers (ICs) of patients with cancer. Cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) and acupuncture both have known benefits for patients with cancer, but such benefits have yet to be evaluated among ICs. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the feasibility, acceptability and preliminary effects of CBT-I and acupuncture among ICs with moderate or greater levels of insomnia.MethodParticipants were randomized to eight sessions of CBT-I or ten sessions of acupuncture.ResultsResults highlighted challenges of identifying interested and eligible ICs and the impact of perception of intervention on retention and likely ultimately outcome.Significance of the resultsFindings suggest preliminary support for non-pharmacological interventions to treat insomnia in ICs and emphasize the importance of matching treatment modality to the preferences and needs of ICs.

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