Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing on Autoimmune Thyroiditis in Adults
Condition: Hashimoto
MeSH terms: Thyroiditis; Hashimoto Disease; Thyroiditis, Autoimmune
Study type: Interventional

Summary: 
      The purpose of this study is to evaluate whether Eye Movement Desensitization and
      Reprocessing (EMDR) is effective in decreasing the level of autoantibodies of patients with
      autoimmune thyroiditis. The investigators hypothesize that processing traumatic memories from
      events that happened before the illness onset will have a positive impact first on the psyche
      (a) by decreasing the level of dissociation, alexithymia, anger, and (b) by increasing the
      quality of life and emotional regulation, than those in the control group. Secondly, it will
      have an impact on the biological level, by decreasing the level of autoantibodies,
      antithyroglobulin antibody (anti-Tg) and anti-thyroid peroxidase antibody (anti-TPO), which
      are the main antibodies detected in chronic autoimmune thyroiditis.
    

Detailed description: 
      Hashimoto thyroiditis is an autoimmune disease that leads to chronic inflammation of the
      thyroid gland. This is considered the most common autoimmune disorder, and the most common
      endocrine disorder. Psychological trauma has been suggested as a possible factor in the
      pathogenesis and development of autoimmune diseases. Although a diversity of
      psychotherapeutic interventions have been studied in adults with autoimmune diseases, there
      is a lack of psychological research and randomized controlled trials in the field of the
      Hashimoto disease.

      This study is designed to be a clinical trial with three arms: one experimental and two
      control groups. The experimental group receives EMDR, one control group receive placebo and
      the other is a waiting list. 90 out-patients with Hashimoto disease will be randomly assigned
      to the three groups. The investigators hypothesize that the therapeutic gains will be more
      significant in the experimental condition than in the control groups at the completion of the
      therapy and that this will be maintained at the 3-month follow-up.The EMDR group undergoes a
      90 minutes session of EMDR each week for twelve weeks.The sessions will be conducted by
      clinicians or psychotherapists specialized in EMDR. The placebo group will receive a similar
      amount of time of placebo intervention. If therapy is efficient on the autoimmune disorder,
      participants in the control groups will be reallocated to EMDR after the experimental
      treatment will come to an end.
    

Intervention name(s): Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing; Placebo; Treatment as Usual
Intervention type(s): Behavioral; Other; Drug
Intervention description(s): The first session will be assigned to the assessment and the exploration of the personal history and for presenting the method to the client. Then, each case will be conceptualized according to the Model of Two Method Approach and the protocol for the treatment will be used. The procedure will be organized around targeting the most ten disturbing memories which happened before the illness debut, including stressful or traumatic memories from childhood. The rationale behind this approach is that adverse events leave traces in the neural network of an individual in such a way that these cause a variety of emotional or cognitive symptoms. If we consider the illness as being also a "symptom" of a traumatic past, then we expect that by accessing the dysfunctionally stored memory and stimulating the innate processing system, the symptoms of the illness diminish.; The participants randomised in this group will receive a protocol focused only on present and future (present symptoms, daily problems, future projects). The psychologist will lead the discussion anywhere except for the past.; The participants randomised in this group will continue taking the classical treatment prescribed for Hashimoto (Levothyroxine)
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention model: Parallel Assignment
Masking: Single (Outcomes Assessor)
Primary purpose: Supportive Care
Keywords: Hashimoto; Autoimmune thyroiditis; Eye Movement Desensitization adn Reprocessing; Trauma