Waking Hypnosis in the Treatment of MS-related Fatigue

This project will test the efficacy of two different hypnosis approaches for improving MS-related fatigue that have shown to be beneficial for individuals with cancer and other medical conditions in the management of their symptoms. One of these methods, the active-alert hypnosis has helped people to manage fatigue and may have important advantages over the more traditional relaxation hypnotic approaches in the treatment of fatigue, since the hypnotic inductions and the self-hypnosis methods use activation instead of relaxation. Therefore, the goals of this study are to determine if a comparison study of these two hypnotic conditions is feasible, and, if so, to determine which treatment may be more effective for helping individuals with MS gain more control over fatigue. Additionally, it will explore the mechanisms of these two approaches to hypnosis treatment to determine which might be most helpful to individuals with MS and fatigue.

Inclusion criteria

• Diagnosis of MS;
• Adults 18 years of age or older;
• Bothersome fatigue (defined as the presence of chronic, problematic fatigue that, in the opinion of the patient, has interfered with their daily activities for ≥ 3 months and average Fatigue Severity Scale score > to 4 at screening);
• Ability to read, speak, and understand English and/or Spanish.

Exclusion criteria

• Exclusion criteria will be evidence for significant psychopathology that would interfere with study participation, including current suicidal ideation with intent, active psychosis or hallucinations, or severe cognitive impairment.