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Cognitive Behavior Therapy for Atopic Dermatitis

Exposure-based CBT for Itching in Atopic Dermatitis

Status
Completed
Phases
NA
Study type
Interventional
Source
ClinicalTrials.gov
Registry ID
NCT02302625
Enrollment
9
Registered
2014-11-27
Start date
2014-11-30
Completion date
2016-02-29
Last updated
2016-03-03

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Atopic Dermatitis

Keywords

Cognitive behavior therapy

Brief summary

Atopic dermatitis is an inflammatory skin disease characterized by itching, dry skin and recurrent inflammatory eczema. It is one of the most common skin diseases and is associated with reduced quality of life, functional impairment and sleep difficulties. The present study aims to investigate a new exposure-based cognitive behavioral psychological treatment for the disorder. The trial is a small scale open trial (n=25) with assessments at baseline, post-treatment and 6-month follow-up. The primary outcome is the SCORAD.

Detailed description

Atopic dermatitis (AD)is an inflammatory skin disease characterized by itching, dry skin and recurrent inflammatory eczema. It is one of the most common skin diseases and is associated with reduced quality of life, functional impairment and sleep difficulties. There are currently no pharmacological treatments that are effective in curing the disorder in the longer-term. Itching is one of the core symptoms in AD and it has been shown that the behavioral response to itching, scratching, has a maintaining function in AD. Reducing scratching may therefore play an important role in alleviating AD. Although behavioral aspects play a significant role in AD only a few studies have investigated the effect of psychological treatment for AD. These studies have shown promising results and the present study aim to add to the body of knowledge by testing a new form of cognitive behavioral treatment for AD. This new treatment is based on the idea that patients could benefit from training in exposure to events that could lead to increase in itching while refraining from scratching. To enable this the treatment incorporates more recently developed cognitive behavioral components such as mindfulness training. The present study aims to investigate a new exposure-based cognitive behavioral psychological treatment for the disorder. The trial is a small scale open trial (n=25) with assessments at baseline, post-treatment and 6-month follow-up. The primary outcome is the SCORAD.

Interventions

BEHAVIORALCognitive behavior therapy

Cognitive behavior therapy based on exposure and response prevention. The treatment also incorporates mindfulness training as a means to increasing tolerance for aversive thoughts and emotions associated with AD. The treatment is delivered by a licensed psychologist and comprises 10 individual weekly sessions.

Sponsors

Karolinska Institutet
Lead SponsorOTHER

Study design

Allocation
NA
Intervention model
SINGLE_GROUP
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE

Eligibility

Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to 65 Years
Healthy volunteers
No

Inclusion criteria

* Diagnosis of AD with at least moderate severity * AD for at least 6 months * Age 18-65 * Ability to read and write in Swedish

Exclusion criteria

* Serious psychiatric illness * Concurrent light treatment or peroral treatment for AD * Pregnancy * Other concurrent or recently finished psychological treatment for AD

Design outcomes

Primary

MeasureTime frame
Severity Scoring of Atopic Dermatitis index (SCORAD)Change from baseline to 10 weeks follow-up and 6-month follow-up

Secondary

MeasureTime frame
Montgomery-Åsberg Depression Rating Scale-Self-ratedChange from baseline to 10 weeks follow-up and 6-month follow-up
Quality of Life InventoryChange from baseline to 10 weeks follow-up and 6-month follow-up
Beck Anxiety InventoryChange from baseline to 10 weeks follow-up and 6-month follow-up
SRH-5Change from baseline to 10 weeks follow-up and 6-month follow-up
Trimbos and Institute of Technology Cost Questionnaire for Psychiatric illness (TIC-P)Change from baseline to 10 weeks follow-up and 6-month follow-up
Alcohol Disorders Identification TestBaseline only

Countries

Sweden

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: Feb 4, 2026