Gary R. Elkins - US grants

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Context: Hot flashes are the most severe and frequent menopausal symptom experienced by postmenopausal women and breast cancer survivors. Findings from the Women's Health Initiative that indicate a shift in the risk/benefit balance of hormone therapy has created a pressing need for effective alternative therapies for hot flashes. Our preliminary data indicate that hypnosis can significantly reduce (58-69%) subjectively measured, self-reported hot flash frequency, severity, and interference (i.e. perceived impact) in breast cancer survivors relative to a wait-list control. However, the treatment effectiveness of hypnosis in reducing physiologically measured (i.e. physiologically measured impact) hot flashes with both healthy menopausal women and breast cancer survivors has yet to be established relative to a Structured-Attention Control. [Also, the physiologic mechanism by which hypnosis may operate in reducing hot flashes is unknown. However, by reducing stress hypnosis may indirectly decrease hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) activity. Cortisol is one of the most widely accepted indicators of HPA activity and it is unknown if hypnosis may decrease cortisol in women experiencing hot flashes.] Also, potential moderators of the efficacy of hypnosis for hot flashes have not been previously studied. Potential moderators may include individual differences in hypnotizability and cognitive expectations for the intervention effectiveness. To our knowledge no previous research has investigated expectancy as a variable regarding any treatment of hot flashes. We hypothesize that hypnosis is a well-tolerated effective intervention to decrease hot flashes in women who are hypnotizable. Objective: (1) Determine the effect of hypnosis intervention on reducing hot flash frequency and severity (perceived impact vs. physiologically measured impact) in menopausal women and breast cancer survivors;(2) Investigate potential moderators of the intervention's effectiveness including cognitive expectancies and hypnotizability scores. (3) Investigate effects of the hypnosis intervention on anxiety, depression, sexual function, sleep quality, and [stress (cortisol).] Design: A stratified randomized design will compare the intervention in menopausal women and breast cancer survivors to an attention-control condition. [Follow-up will be at 12 weeks post-baseline.] Setting and Participants: 200 participants experiencing [7 moderate to severe hot flashes per day or 50 hot flashes weekly] will be recruited from major medical centers in the Eastern and Southwest United States. Intervention: Participants will be randomly assigned to receive five individual sessions of hypnosis or five sessions of structured attention-control condition. Main Outcome Measures: Outcomes will be hot flashes (self-report daily diaries;physiological monitoring;hot flash daily interference), anxiety (State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, VAS ratings), depression (CES-D), sexual function (Sexual Function Scale), sleep quality (Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index), stress (cortisol), cognitive expectancies (VAS ratings) and hypnotizability (Stanford Hypnotic Susceptibility Scale Form C). If successful, the results of the proposed study will allow for a new non-pharmacological intervention for hot flashes and make novel theoretical contributions to examining the psychological factors that may be associated with changes in hot flashes.

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Hot flashes are prevalent with menopause and can significantly negatively impact a woman's life. Studies estimate as many as 80 percent of women report hot flashes. Besides being a physiologic phenomenon accompanied by heart palpitations and sweating, hot flashes can also be accompanied by negative emotions such as anxiety and panic. There are limited treatment options with respect to high efficacy and low side effect profile. The current nonhormonal options provide, at most, around 60 percent reduction in hot flashes which is lower than hormones. The goal of this research program is to find both pharmacologic and non-pharmacologic options for improvement in menopausal symptoms, including hot flashes. This pilot study will test the combination of a potentially effective behavioral (non-pharmacologic) intervention, hypnosis, with a known effective pharmacologic intervention, venlafaxine ER. Venlafaxine has been well studied and found to provide a 55 percent reduction in hot flashes. Hypnosis will be tested with both venlafaxine ER as well as a placebo pill. Likewise, we will utilize a control hypnosis comparison as well. The aims of this study are to evaluate the effect size of venlafaxine ER 75 mg with hypnosis compared to venlafaxine ER 75 mg with control hypnosis compared to placebo with hypnosis compared to placebo with control hypnosis, as well as to evaluate the side effects of each of these treatments. We will also evaluate potential moderating variables of expectancy and hypnotizability. The pilot study will randomly assign postmenopausal women reporting hot flashes to one of the four treatment arms described above for 8 weeks, including a baseline week. Hot flashes will be measured daily throughout the trial with a prospective daily diary, including the baseline week. Differences in hot flash reduction between baseline and the last week of treatment will be compared between each arm. Effect sizes and confidence intervals will be calculated. Questionnaires measuring secondary outcomes such as sleep, mood, hot flash interference and menopause related quality of life will be completed before starting the study interventions and at the end of the study. A larger, more definitive trial is planned based on the results and effect sizes of this pilot trial. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: This project will be the first step to a larger study evaluating the combination of low dose venlafaxine (37.5 mg and 75 mg) with self-hypnosis for reducing hot flashes. This is a novel combination with the potential to reduce hot flashes equal to estrogen based therapy without significant unwanted side effects. The risk/benefit of estrogen therapy has recently been deemed negative with respect to hot flash management, yet hot flashes can significantly negatively impact one's life. Therefore, effective treatments without unwanted side effects are needed. The novelty of combining a pharmacologic with a non-pharmacologic intervention in a large clinical trial for hot flashes is unprecedented. This pilot study will provide the data to go forward with a large, definitive trial. In addition, information regarding moderating variables of expectancy and hypnotizability will be gained.

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Poor sleep is among the most frequent, yet least addressed, health concern among women during the menopause transition and the prevalence of poor sleep increases with age. In addition, poor sleep has been associated with increased risks for other health problems, adverse effects of prescription sleep medications, and mortality; affecting the quality of life and health of midlife women. Our laboratory has identified that hypnosis, when delivered with five (5), therapist delivered, individualized hypnosis inductions can improve self- reported sleep quality among postmenopausal women presenting with a primary complaint of hot flashes. However, as currently developed, hypnosis is labor intensive and not easily disseminable, thus, limiting its potential public health impact. If a hypnosis program could be developed that is less personnel-intensive and more easily disseminable, it could have a large public health impact on the sleep of midlife women. In addition, the potential impact of any hypnosis program on objectively measured sleep has not yet been examined and there is little data for effect size estimates. Our long range goal is to identify a safe, efficacius, and widely disseminable hypnosis intervention for the treatment of sleep problems during the menopause transition. The purpose of this application is to determine the optimal dose and delivery method for a hypnosis program that shows feasibility, acceptable adherence, and preliminary effects on sleep (primary outcomes) and other secondary outcomes (sleep quality, insomnia symptom severity, daytime sleepiness, menopausal symptoms, and pain). We will enroll 80 menopausal women into a 2X2 factorial design to compare two dosing (three vs. five sessions) and two delivery methods of hypnosis (audio recorded vs. therapist delivered inductions) with assessments at baseline and four, six, and eight weeks post-intervention. Specific aims are to (1) Determine the feasibility of and adherence to the four hypnosis programs; (2) Determine initial effect sizes for the primary outcome of objectively measured sleep duration, including the percent of women who achieve a clinically meaningful improvement; (3) Determine initial effect sizes for secondary outcomes of sleep quality, insomnia symptom severity, daytime sleepiness, menopausal symptoms, and pain; and (4) Trends in potential covariates including endogenous factors (e.g., age, race/ethnicity, menopausal stage) and exogenous factors (e.g., sleep environment, socioeconomic status). Statistical analysis will determine feasibility (< 25% dropout; rating of good or better for the program, and <5% adverse events) and adherence (> 75% compliance with daily at-home practice). Estimated effect sizes for primary and secondary outcomes will be calculated using standard methods and the optimal programs identified (e.g., a >b>c>d). Trends in potential covariates will be analyzed using Pearson correlations for continuous covariates (e.g., age), and for categorical covariates (e.g., demographic/environment variables) t tests or ANOVAs will be conducted, as appropriate. Findings will provide the requisite data to plan a subsequent R01 application for a multi-site, large-scale, randomized controlled trial.

Abstract Hot flashes negatively impact 80% or more of the female population experiencing menopause due to aging and/or diagnosis and treatment for breast cancer, causing decreases in both emotional and physical role functioning. The most effective treatment for hot flashes, estrogen based treatment, is either contraindicated or a cause for worry amongst many women due to cancer and serious side effect risks. Some non-estrogen based treatments have been found effective, but they also can have a negative risk-benefit ratio. Effective, non-hormonal treatments for hot flashes that are not associated with unwanted side effects and are accessible to all women are needed. Hypnotic relaxation therapy is a mind-body intervention that has demonstrated the ability to reduce hot flashes in women experiencing menopause from natural aging as well as breast cancer treatment and has recently been added to a clinical guideline for hot flash management by the North American Menopause Society. However, access to this effective treatment is limited by a lack of trained and/or certified licensed providers. According to an IOM report on women?s health, efforts are needed to be able to translate effective guideline based treatments broadly into practice. This study represents the next step to meet that critical objective. This application proposes a multi-site, two arm, randomized controlled trial with 224 postmenopausal women to accomplish the following specific aims: 1) Evaluate efficacy of a fully self- administered hypnosis compared to an equivalently structured attention control group; 2) Evaluate efficacy of the self-administered hypnosis compared to structured attention for sleep, mood, and hot flash related quality of life, and 3) Explore potential mechanisms by assessing mediators and moderators of effectiveness. This research has the potential to be the gateway to the broad dissemination of a powerful intervention against hot flashes and to illuminate mechanisms of action upon which to build further interventions. This study is innovative because it seeks to deliver a provider intensive therapy in a fully self-administered way, and to explore mechanisms by which it reduces hot flashes.