Response of Urticaria to Stress Intervention

February 16, 2018 updated by: University of Mississippi Medical Center

Effect of Psychological Stress Intervention on Chronic Urticaria Activity and Immune Dysregulation

Several studies have shown a relationship between psychological stress and chronic urticaria (hives). The primary objective of this study is to evaluate the effect psychological stress intervention has on chronic urticaria.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Withdrawn

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Detailed Description

As many patients with chronic urticaria display heightened levels of stress before and/or after the onset of the urticaria, the purpose of this study is to evaluate the effect of psychological stress intervention on chronic urticaria. Intervention group participants will meet with a psychiatry resident once a week for six consecutive weeks to be educated on psychological stress intervention techniques. Control group participants will meet with a psychiatry resident once a week for six consecutive weeks for general supportive therapy, which will not provide psychological stress intervention. All participants will complete a packet of psychological and dermatological questionnaires before the first session with the psychiatry resident and one week after the final session. All participants will record daily 1) their urticaria symptoms and 2) the type and number of antihistamines taken. Blood and saliva samples will be collected before the first session and one week after completion of the final session to compare the levels of stress hormones and cytokines in order to evaluate an effect on immune dysregulation.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Interventional

Phase

Phase

The stage of a clinical trial studying a drug or biological product, based on definitions developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The phase is based on the study's objective, the number of participants, and other characteristics. There are five phases: Early Phase 1 (formerly listed as Phase 0), Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4. Not Applicable is used to describe trials without FDA-defined phases, including trials of devices or behavioral interventions.
  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

  • United States
    • Mississippi
      • Jackson, Mississippi, United States, 39216
        • University of Mississippi Medical Center
      • Jackson, Mississippi, United States, 39216
        • University of Mississippi

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

18 years to 64 years (Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Genders Eligible for Study

All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Males and females age 18-64 years who are inadequately controlled on H1 and/or H2-blocker therapy for chronic urticaria
  • The Urticaria Activity Score must have a score of at least 2 (one point from each of the two categories: number of hives and severity of pruritus).

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Urticaria secondary to vasculitis
  • Use of prednisone, hydroxychloroquine, cyclosporine, or a tricyclic antidepressant (except Doxepin) within the 30 days prior to enrollment
  • A history of anaphylaxis
  • Non-controlled or debilitating chronic diseases (poorly controlled diabetes or congestive heart failure)
  • An immune system disorder
  • Deranged stress hormone level (for example, Cushing's disease)
  • Ongoing omalizumab therapy
  • Nocturnal employment (which would effect study measures, such as cortisol levels).

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Treatment
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: Single

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Participant Group / Arm

A group or subgroup of participants in a clinical trial that receives a specific intervention/treatment, or no intervention, according to the trial's protocol.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
Placebo Comparator: Control
Participants will meet with a psychiatry resident once a week for six consecutive weeks for general supportive therapy, which will not provide psychological stress intervention.
Behavioral: General Supportive Therapy
There is no focus on stress intervention.
Experimental: Intervention
Participants will meet with a psychiatry resident once a week for six consecutive weeks to be educated on psychological stress intervention techniques.
Behavioral: Psychological Stress Intervention
Intervention group participants will meet with a psychiatry resident once a week for six consecutive weeks to be educated on psychological stress intervention techniques focusing on relaxation, mindfulness, emotion regulation and acceptance and willingness.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Time Frame
Evaluate the effect psychological stress intervention has on chronic urticaria as measured by the Urticaria Activity Score
Time Frame: 6 weeks
6 weeks

Secondary Outcome Measures

Secondary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, a planned outcome measure that is not as important as the primary outcome measure for evaluating the effect of an intervention but is still of interest. Most clinical studies have more than one secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Time Frame
Comparison of the pre-intervention and post-intervention symptoms as determined by a packet of psychological and dermatological questionnaires.
Time Frame: 6 weeks
6 weeks
Evaluate pre- and post-intervention cytokine and stress hormone levels.
Time Frame: 6 weeks
6 weeks
The number of as-needed antihistamines used as the study progresses.
Time Frame: 6 weeks
6 weeks

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
University of Mississippi Medical Center

Investigators

Investigators

A researcher involved in a clinical study. Related terms include site principal investigator, site sub-investigator, study chair, study director, and study principal investigator.
  • Principal Investigator: John W Tole, D.O., University of Mississippi Medical Center Div of Allergy and Immunology
  • Study Director: Gailen D Marshall, M.D., University of Mississippi Medical Center Div of Allergy and Immunology
  • Study Director: Kim L Gratz, Ph.D., University of Mississippi Medical Center Div of Psychiatry

Publications and helpful links

The person responsible for entering information about the study voluntarily provides these publications. These may be about anything related to the study.

General Publications

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
July 1, 2010

Primary Completion (Actual)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
March 1, 2011

Study Completion (Actual)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
March 1, 2011

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
January 11, 2010

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
January 11, 2010

First Posted (Estimate)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
January 12, 2010

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
February 20, 2018

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
February 16, 2018

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
August 1, 2011

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • 2009-0013

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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