Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) to Treat Chronic Pruritus

Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) to Treat Chronic Pruritus in a Multidisciplinary Tertiary Care Setting- a Feasibility Study

Pruritus is a common symptom of numerous dermatological and non-dermatological conditions. Current treatments for chronic pruritus (CP) are often not fully effective and may have burdensome side effects. Recently, the trauma exposure technique Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) that is recommended as first line treatment for posttraumatic stress disorder has been reported to be also effective in the treatment of CP in anecdotal clinical case observations. However, to the best of the investigator's knowledge, the efficacy of EMDR in CP has not yet been systematically explored. This study aims at addressing this unmet need in a prospective pilot study comparing EMDR versus treatment as usual (TAU).

Study Overview

• Status: Not yet recruiting
• Conditions: Chronic Pruritus
• Intervention / Treatment: Behavioral: Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Estimated): 30
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

• Study Contact: Name: Chrysovalandis Schwale, Dr.; Phone Number: +41 61 265 52 94; Email: chrysovalandis.schwale@usb.ch
• Study Contact Backup: Name: Rainer Schaefert, Prof.; Phone Number: +41 61 265 52 94; Email: rainer.schaefert@usb.ch

Study Locations

• Switzerland
  • Basel, Switzerland, 4031
    • University Hospital Basel
    • Contact: Chrysovalandis Schwale, Dr. med.; Phone Number: +41 61 265 52 94; Email: chrysovalandis.schwale@usb.ch
    • Contact: Rainer Schäfert, Prof. Dr.; Phone Number: +41 61 265 52 94; Email: rainer.schaefert@usb.ch

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: Adult; Older Adult
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Description

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

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Treatment
• Allocation: Non-Randomized
• Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
• Masking: None (Open Label)

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Intervention Group; EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing)-Treatment of patients suffering from CP + Treatment as Usual (TAU).	Behavioral: Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing; EMDR is a psychotherapeutic approach originally designed for individuals suffering from trauma and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). It facilitates the processing of memories through a structured eight-phase treatment, involving the patient's focused attention on traumatic images, thoughts, and sensations while simultaneously engaging in bilateral stimulation, typically through guided eye movements. This process aims to reduce the emotional distress associated with aversive memories, promoting adaptive coping mechanisms and psychological healing. Recently, the indications for the method have been extended so that EMDR is also used for chronic pain and depressive disorders.
No Intervention: Standard of care group; Treatment as Usual (TAU) - depending on the underlying disease

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Adherence (%)	Adherence/ receipt of intervention and retention will be assessed by tracking % of sessions completed, number of dropouts and number of patients completing final assessment.	up to 8 month

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: University Hospital, Basel, Switzerland
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Chrysovalandis Schwale, Dr., University Hospital, Basel, Switzerland

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Estimated): March 1, 2025
• Primary Completion (Estimated): September 1, 2026
• Study Completion (Estimated): September 1, 2026

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: January 7, 2025
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: January 7, 2025
• First Posted (Actual): March 25, 2025

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): March 25, 2025
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: January 7, 2025
• Last Verified: January 1, 2025

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Skin Manifestations; Skin Diseases; Pruritus
• Other Study ID Numbers: 2024-02597, th24schaefert

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: NO

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No