A Pilot Study Using Gut-Directed Hypnotherapy for Hospitalized Patients

June 23, 2026 updated by: Irene Sonu, Stanford University
The purpose of the study is to compare the effectiveness of recorded gut-directed hypnosis to an educational recording in people with chronic problems in their gastrointestinal (GI) system. Patients who are hospitalized at Stanford Hospital for worsening pain and/or nausea will be considered for enrollment.

Study Overview

Status

Not yet recruiting

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Estimated)

26

Phase

  • 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
    • California
      • Stanford, California, United States, 94305
        • Stanford University

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

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Adult
  • Older Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Adults admitted to the GI inpatient service with expected length of stay >24 hours
  • Prior diagnosis of a disorder of gut-brain interaction, esophageal disorder, or inflammatory bowel disease
  • Reason for hospitalization related to symptom management for exacerbation of visceral pain and/or nausea.

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Currently using hypnosis
  • severe developmental delay or cognitive impairment
  • serious mental illness (i.e. psychosis or dissociation)
  • hearing impairment
  • Non-English speaking
  • enrolled in another trial for GI symptom management
  • admitted for GI procedure

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: None (Open Label)

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm
Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Hypnosis
Participants will undergo gut-directed hypnotherapy via a phone intervention (10 minute recording, at least once daily while hospitalized) and for as much as participant would like for the 3 month duration of the study.
Behavioral: Gut directed hypnotherapy via telephone intervention
Participants will undergo a self-directed gut-directed hypnosis intervention over the telephone.
Sham Comparator: Education
Participants will listen to educational recording (10 minute recording, at least once daily while hospitalized) and for as much as participant would like for the 3 month duration of the study.
Behavioral: Educational recording
Participants will listen to educational material over the telephone about their gastrointestinal symptoms.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Recruitment rate
Time Frame: Up to 1 year.
Recruitment rate is the proportion enrolled among eligible patients approached.
Up to 1 year.
Number of participants who adhered to intervention
Time Frame: 3 months.
Proportion of participants completing ≥1 hypnosis session during hospitalization and total number of listens
3 months.
Retention rate
Time Frame: 3 months.
Retention rate is defined as survey completion at baseline, 1 week, 1 month, and 3 months.
3 months.

Collaborators and Investigators

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

Sponsor

Stanford University

Collaborators

American College of Gastroenterology

Investigators

  • Principal Investigator: Irene Sonu, MD, Stanford University

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 (Estimated)

July 1, 2026

Primary Completion (Estimated)

July 1, 2027

Study Completion (Estimated)

July 1, 2028

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

June 23, 2026

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

June 23, 2026

First Posted (Actual)

June 30, 2026

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

June 30, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

June 23, 2026

Last Verified

June 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

  • 83851

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

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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