Treatment of Chronic Itching through Targeted Influence on Sensory Processing in the Brain
Zusammenfassung der Studie
Chronic itching is one of the most common symptoms in dermatological patients. The impact on quality of life can be significant. The causes of itching vary and range from skin and nerve diseases to liver and kidney disorders. The brain is always involved in sensory processing. Treating itching is often challenging. In psychotherapeutic treatments using 'Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing' (EMDR) for patients with accompanying skin diseases and chronic itching, we observed an improvement in itching complaints. There are additional case reports that also describe the effectiveness of EMDR for itching. However, potential correlations have not yet been sufficiently researched, which is why we are pursuing this study. In this study, we first investigate whether the intervention method EMDR is feasible for chronic itching in an interdisciplinary setting of psychosomatics and dermatology and whether it is accepted by the affected individuals. This can provide initial important insights into effectiveness and good tolerability. If the effectiveness of EMDR for itching is scientifically examined and proven, it can be specifically used against chronic itching.
(BASEC)
Untersuchte Intervention
The intervention method EMDR is currently used for the treatment of post-traumatic stress disorders. EMDR stands for 'Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing': This method influences sensory processing through guided eye movements (similar to REM sleep) or alternative bilateral stimulation of both hemispheres of the brain. Due to its good effectiveness and tolerability, EMDR has been continuously expanding its application area in Europe and the USA in recent years.
In our study, participants will be grouped in consultation with our study team. This is important to obtain reliable results from the study. There are two groups in our study: an intervention group (Group 1) and a comparison group (Group 2). Both groups receive the treatment that is customary for the given diagnosis according to current knowledge. The intervention group additionally receives EMDR therapy.
The study is not a blinded study. Not blinded means that everyone involved in the implementation knows which group the participants have been assigned to. The participants themselves also know which group they are in.
(BASEC)
Untersuchte Krankheit(en)
chronic itching
(BASEC)
diagnosed chronic itching Age between 18-75 years Itching intensity of at least 4 on the 0-10 numerical rating scale within the last 7 days (BASEC)
Ausschlusskriterien
Patients with phototherapy Inability to follow the study process, e.g., due to language problems or severe mental illnesses Acute outbreak of an autoimmune disease such as Crohn's disease (BASEC)
Studienstandort
Basel
(BASEC)
Sponsor
Universitätsspital Basel
(BASEC)
Kontakt für weitere Auskünfte zur Studie
Kontaktperson Schweiz
Dr. med. Chrysovalandis Schwale
+41 61 328 3121
chrysovalandis.schwale@clutterusb.chUniversitätsspital Basel
(BASEC)
Allgemeine Auskünfte
University Hospital, Basel, Switzerland,
+41 61 265 52 94;+41 61 265 52 94
chrysovalandis.schwale@clutterusb.ch(ICTRP)
Wissenschaftliche Auskünfte
University Hospital, Basel, Switzerland,
+41 61 265 52 94;+41 61 265 52 94
chrysovalandis.schwale@clutterusb.ch(ICTRP)
Name der bewilligenden Ethikkommission (bei multizentrischen Studien nur die Leitkommission)
Ethikkommission Nordwest- und Zentralschweiz EKNZ
(BASEC)
Datum der Bewilligung durch die Ethikkommission
28.05.2025
(BASEC)
ICTRP Studien-ID
NCT06771375 (ICTRP)
Offizieller Titel (Genehmigt von der Ethikkommission)
Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) to treat chronic pruritus in a multidisciplinary tertiary care setting– a feasibility study (BASEC)
Wissenschaftlicher Titel
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) to Treat Chronic Pruritus in a Multidisciplinary Tertiary Care Setting- a Feasibility Study (ICTRP)
Öffentlicher Titel
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) to Treat Chronic Pruritus (ICTRP)
Untersuchte Krankheit(en)
Chronic Pruritus (ICTRP)
Untersuchte Intervention
Behavioral: Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (ICTRP)
Studientyp
Interventional (ICTRP)
Studiendesign
Allocation: Non-Randomized. Intervention model: Parallel Assignment. Primary purpose: Treatment. Masking: None (Open Label). (ICTRP)
Ein-/Ausschlusskriterien
Gender: All
Maximum age: 75 Years
Minimum age: 18 Years
Inclusion Criteria:
- Provided written informed consent
- Age 18 to 75 years
- Skindex-29 (questionnaire) symptoms subscale =42
- Confirmed diagnosis CP
- Itch intensity of min. = 4 on the 0-10 numerical rating scale within the last 7 days
- Stable course of treatment in the two weeks prior to the study
Exclusion Criteria:
- Inability to follow the procedures of the study, e.g. due to language problems,
severe psychiatric disorders such as delusional disorder, suicidality or dementia.
- Patients on phototherapy
- Acute attacks of an autoimmune disease such as Crohn's disease
- Serious cardiac disease (ICTRP)
nicht verfügbar
Primäre und sekundäre Endpunkte
Adherence (%) (ICTRP)
nicht verfügbar
Registrierungsdatum
nicht verfügbar
Einschluss des ersten Teilnehmers
nicht verfügbar
Sekundäre Sponsoren
nicht verfügbar
Weitere Kontakte
Chrysovalandis Schwale, Dr.;Chrysovalandis Schwale, Dr.;Chrysovalandis Schwale, Dr. med., chrysovalandis.schwale@usb.ch, +41 61 265 52 94;+41 61 265 52 94, University Hospital, Basel, Switzerland, (ICTRP)
Sekundäre IDs
2024-02597, th24schaefert (ICTRP)
Angaben zur Verfügbarkeit von individuellen Teilnehmerdaten
nicht verfügbar
Weitere Informationen zur Studie
https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT06771375 (ICTRP)
Ergebnisse der Studie
Zusammenfassung der Ergebnisse
nicht verfügbar
Link zu den Ergebnissen im Primärregister
nicht verfügbar