Clinical trial NCT02971852: Effects of Hypnosis on Skin Temperature
Official title: Hypnotic Glove Anesthesia: Effects of Hypnosis on Skin Temperature Measured by Infrared Thermography
Study type: OBSERVATIONAL
Overall status: COMPLETED
Conditions: Hypnosis
Healthy Volunteers
Keywords: Hypnosis
Anesthesia
Suggestion
Thermography
Lead sponsor: Claude Bernard University
Sponsor class: OTHER
Collaborators: name: Centre Clinical, France
name: Saint-Gregoire Private Hospital Center
name: Institut Émergences, France
First posted: 2016-11-23
Enrollment: 30
Sex: ALL
Minimum age (years): 18
Maximum age (years): 75
Standard ages: ADULT
OLDER_ADULT
Accepts healthy volunteers: yes
Observational model: COHORT
Time perspective: PROSPECTIVE
Sampling method: NON_PROBABILITY_SAMPLE
Study population: Healthy volunteers

Brief summary: Hypnotic glove anesthesia is a hypnosis technique wherein the patient, following the suggestions of the hypnotherapist, is mentally capable to create a loss of sensation in areas of the hand that would be covered by a glove. We investigated the effects of hypnotic glove anesthesia on skin temperature measured by thermography.

Detailed description: After 20 min installation and temperature equilibration (T0), the subject skin temperature was recorded in 5 regions of both hands (1 = distal hand, 2 = proximal hand, 3 = wrist, 4 = distal forearm, 5 = proximal forearm) using infrared thermography.

After 10 min of latency, skin temperature was recorded again in both hands (T1).

A first noxious stimulus (NOX1) is then applied by the hypnotherapist by pinching the webbing between the thumb and index fingers of the dominant hand between the thumb and the index. Pain intensity is assessed on a 0-10 (0 = no pain, 10 = maximal pain imaginable) numerical rating scale (NRS1).

The hypnotic glove is then mentally created by the subject on his dominant hand following the suggestions of the hypnotherapist (T2). To assess the efficacy of the hypnotic glove, a second noxious stimulus (NOX2) is applied similarly to NOX1 and the NRS was recorded (NRS2).

The subject is then invited to mentally wear off the glove (T3). Skin temperature is then recorded in both hands, and a third noxious stimulus (NOX3) is applied similarly to NOX1 and NOX2 to verify the disappearance of hypnotic anesthesia.

A last record of skin temperature in both hands is performed 5 min after the glove is withdrawn (T4).

Eligibility criteria: Inclusion Criteria:

* Healthy volunteers aged from 18 to 75

Exclusion Criteria:

* Neurologic or psychiatric disorder
* Upper limb amputation
* Microcirculation abnormalities (e.g. Raynaud syndrome)

Primary outcomes:
measure: Change in skin temperature during the experiment in the hand and forearm
timeFrame: During the study experiment, from the beginning of the experiment, after 20 min installation and temperature equilibration, to the end of the experiment, 5 min after the glove is mentally withdrawn (approximately 1 h).
Secondary outcomes:
measure: Change in pain intensity during the experiment following noxious stimulation
timeFrame: During the study experiment, from 10 min after the beginning of the experiment to 5 min before the end of the experiment, when the glove is mentally withdrawn (approximately 45 min).
Other outcomes:
Locations:
city: Rennes
country: France
facility: Institut Émergences
city: Saint-Grégoire
country: France
facility: Centre hospitalier privé Saint-Grégoire
city: Soyaux
country: France
facility: Centre Clinical
Study officials:
affiliation: Centre Clinical, France
name: Xavier Paqueron, MD, PhD
role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR
References: