Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Program as an Intervention in Patients With Fibromyalgia

Sponsor

University Hospital Freiburg (Other)

Overall Status

Unknown status

CT.gov ID

NCT00106275

Collaborator

Samueli Institute for Information Biology (Other)

180

Enrollment

Location

Duration (Months)

Patients Per Site Per Month

Study Details

Study Description

Brief Summary

Fibromyalgia is a clinical syndrome with chronic pain, fatigue, and sleep disorders being the main symptoms. There is no commonly accepted efficacious treatment modality. Training in mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) is a structured, 8-week, cognitively and affectively oriented intervention program, and has been shown to produce health benefits in a number of studies.

We plan to conduct a randomized, controlled, clinical study with the aim of testing the efficacy of MBSR for fibromyalgia. Because fibromyalgia is almost exclusively a female disorder, we will limit this investigation to women. 180 female, fibromyalgia patients will be randomized into three groups:

Mindfulness training
Active control
Wait-list control.

The main outcome criteria are self-reported and fibromyalgia-specific Quality of Life (QOL), and a Biobehavioral Fibromyalgia Index composed of a variety of psychophysiological and behavioral variables. This index will be generated from data gathered via an ambulatory psychophysiological monitoring system, which comprises parameters of mobility, sleep quality, and cardiovascular well-being. These and other relevant variables (depression score, general QOL, pain quality, anxiety, mindfulness, compliance, other therapeutic measures) will be assessed at the beginning and end of the training, as well as at 4- and 12-months post-treatment. A primary focus will be assessing whether it is possible to promote psychological well-being through the learning of attentive presence and any resultant affective affirmation.

Condition or Disease	Intervention/Treatment	Phase
Fibromyalgia	Behavioral: Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction	N/A

Detailed Description

Background:

Fibromyalgia is a clinical syndrome with chronic pain, fatigue, and sleep disorders being the main symptoms. There is no commonly accepted efficacious treatment modality. Training in mindfulness meditation or mindfulness-based stress reduction(MBSR) is based on procedures derived from Buddhist insight meditation and developed into an eight-week structured program by Kabat-Zinn (e.g. 1982, Gen Hosp Psychiat 4:33-47). However, although mindfulness meditation derives from Buddhist practices, the procedures are completely nonesoteric and nonsectarian. In essence, it may be largely characterized in terms of a cognitively and affectively oriented intervention program, and has been shown to produce health benefits in a number of pilot studies, uncontrolled observational studies, and randomized investigations. Promising pilot data are also available for fibromyalgia patients. In a meta-analysis conducted by the PI (principal investigator), clinically important and statistically significant health benefits were found across individuals with a wide range of conditions.

Hypotheses:

A mindfulness-based stress reduction program (MBSR) is effective in improving the quality of life, psychological well-being and diminishing fibromyalgia-related symptoms in chronically ill patients;
the mindfulness component of the MBSR, a spiritual-based method, allows the patient to receive the energy of love which is then transformative; 3) the effects of the mindfulness training will be visible in physiologic measurements including autonomic nervous system activity.

Method and Results:

This is a randomized, controlled, clinical study with the aim of testing the efficacy of an MBSR for fibromyalgia. Because fibromyalgia is almost exclusively a female disorder, the investigation is limited to 180 female, fibromyalgia patients who will be randomized into three groups: Mindfulness training, Active control and Wait-list Control.

The main outcome criteria are self-reported and fibromyalgia-specific Quality of Life, and a Biobehavioral Fibromyalgia Index composed of a variety of psychophysiological and behavioral variables. This index will be generated from data parameters of mobility, sleep quality, and cardiovascular well-being. These and other relevant variables (depression score, general QOL, pain quality, anxiety, mindfulness, compliance, and other therapeutic measures) will be assessed at the beginning and end of the training, as well as at 4- and 12-months post-treatment. A primary focus will be assessing whether it is possible to promote psychological well-being through the learning of attentive presence and any resultant affective affirmation.

Anticipated Results:

MBSR will be proven to be a reliable and efficacious treatment for fibromyalgia as reflected in an improvement in patient reported health variables. It is also expected that a better understanding of the autonomic nervous system in the process of generating and maintaining fibromyalgia will be achieved.

Study Design

Study Type:

Interventional

Allocation:

Randomized

Intervention Model:

Parallel Assignment

Masking:

None (Open Label)

Primary Purpose:

Treatment

Official Title:

Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Program as an Intervention in Patients With Fibromyalgia: A Three-Armed Randomized Clinical Study

Study Start Date :

Nov 1, 2003

Study Completion Date :

Nov 1, 2006

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire (FIQ) []
Biobehavioral Fibromyalgia Index []

Secondary Outcome Measures

Quality of Life (PLC) []
Pain sensation (SES) []
Depression (ADS) []
Anxiety (STAI-G) []
Quality of sleep (SF-B) []
Mindfulness (FIM) []
Concomitant therapies []
Compliance []
Autonomic regulation []
Physical activity measures []
Sleep related measures []

Eligibility Criteria

Criteria

Ages Eligible for Study:

18 Years to 70 Years

Sexes Eligible for Study:

Female

Accepts Healthy Volunteers:

Inclusion Criteria:

Ability to understand the German language
Basic motivation to undergo a MBSR or similar training
Motivation to participate in a clinical trial, especially to answer thoroughly the questionnaires
Verified diagnosis of fibromyalgia according to the criteria of the American College of Rheumatology (ACR)

Exclusion Criteria:

Life threatening disease
Suppressed immune system
Participation in other clinical trials
Psychological or psychiatric disorders which constrain a normal interaction (assessed in an interview)