Education and Training

Radiation Therapy Residency

Medical Students

Medical Physics Residency

Use of Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation to Augment Hypnotic Analgesia

The investigators plan to use functional neuroimaging (fMRI) to understand the brain systems affected when hypnosis and hypnotic analgesia are augmented with repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS), a form of non-invasive brain stimulation to 100 people with fibromyalgia, a chronic pain condition. The investigators will measure the effect of rTMS-augmentation on the brain networks underlying hypnotizability, as well as the effect of rTMS-augmentation on hypnotic analgesia networks. The investigators hope to demonstrate that a combination of these psychological and neuromodulatory treatments will be more effective than hypnosis alone, thereby enhancing the depth of hypnosis, range of hypnosis and the efficacy of hypnotic analgesia and hopefully creating a new treatment modality for individuals suffering from pain syndromes such as fibromyalgia pain.

Stanford is currently not accepting patients for this trial.

Stanford Investigator(s):

Intervention(s):

  • device: MagPro TMS system (MagVenture, Denmark)
  • behavioral: Hypnosis

Eligibility


Inclusion Criteria:

   - Fulfill 2010 Fibromyalgia Diagnostic Criteria

   - Age 18 - 70

   - Right-handed

   - Agree to and able to have two fMRI scans as well as rTMS sessions

   - Willingness to suspend use of analgesic drugs or cough suppressants for 24 hours prior
   to the scans

   - Willingness to suspend us of antidepressant drugs for 2 weeks prior to the scans (6
   weeks for fluoxetine)

   - Proficiency in English sufficient to complete questionnaires/follow instructions
   during fMRI assessments

   - US Citizen or resident able to receive payment legally

   - Low-Moderate Hypnotizability in the Hypnotic Induction Profile (score of 0-8)

   - Normal color vision

   - Women of childbearing potential must agree to use adequate contraception prior to
   study entry and continue this for the duration of the study

Exclusion Criteria:

   - A medical condition that would contraindicate the use of rTMS

   - Any condition that would contraindicate MRI (like ferromagnetic metal in the body)

   - Pregnancy or breast feeding

   - Any significant neurologic disease, including dementia, multi-infarct dementia,
   Parkinson's or Huntington's disease, brain tumor, progressive supranuclear palsy,
   seizure disorder, subdural hematoma, multiple sclerosis, history of significant head
   trauma

   - Current antidepressant use (must be washed out for two weeks prior to starting
   protocol)

   - Inability to stop taking medication contraindicated with treatment

   - High Hypnotizability in the Hypnotic Induction Profile (score >8)

   - Any significant psychiatric disorder as identified on the Mini Mental State Exam
   (Dysthymia not an exclusion criteria)

   - Color blindness

   - Any significant psychiatric disorder as identified on the Mini International
   Neuropsychiatric Interview

   - Previous exposure to rTMS

Ages Eligible for Study

18 Years - 70 Years

Genders Eligible for Study

All

Not currently accepting new patients for this trial

Contact Information

Stanford University
School of Medicine
300 Pasteur Drive
Stanford, CA 94305
Merve Gulser, BS
650-736-2233
Not Recruiting