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Efficacy of Amygdala Retraining With Mindfulness (ART+MF) vs Compassion Therapy (CT) for the Treatment of Patients With Fibromyalgia

Efficacy of Amygdala Retraining With Mindfulness (ART+MF) vs Compassion Therapy (CT) for the Treatment of Patients With Fibromyalgia: A Three-arm Randomized, Controlled Trial.

Status
Completed
Phases
NA
Study type
Interventional
Source
ClinicalTrials.gov
Registry ID
NCT02454244
Enrollment
60
Registered
2015-05-27
Start date
2015-06-30
Completion date
2016-09-30
Last updated
2017-08-10

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

Conditions

Fibromyalgia

Brief summary

Amygdala Retraining Treatment (ART) is a new and promising therapy for patients with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) and Fibromyalgia (FM), however, randomized controlled trials (RCT) are scarce. The investigators have added mindfulness to this therapy, based on preliminary reports of its efficacy on patients, obtaining Amygdala Retraining Treatment with Mindfulness (ART+MF). Other therapy that has been assessed in many psychiatric and medical disorders during the last years has been Compassion Therapy (CT). There are no studies on its efficacy in FM. Aims: The aim of this trial is to assess the efficacy of both ART+MF and CT on the general function of the patients with FM. A secondary objective is to assess the effect of these therapies on psychological (pain, depression, anxiety, etc.) and biological variables (some biomarkers related with inflammation). Methods: * Design: Randomized, controlled trial with three arms: a) ART+MF, b) CT and c) Relaxation as control intervention. * Sample: A sample (N=60 patients, about N=20 for each arm) will be recruited from primary care settings at the city of Zaragoza, Spain.

Interventions

BEHAVIORALART with Mindfulness

1. Introduction of ART with Mindfulness. Visualization of 100% recovery 2. Developing Fibromyalgia and CFS. How stress triggers the central nervous system. The benefits of Mindfulness in chronic stress. Mindfulness Practice. Breathing meditation 3. The ART. Breaking the negative thoughts related to the illness. Walking meditation 4. Mindfulness and the Body Scan. Breaking the cycle of stress. Body-scan meditation 5. Mindfulness and self-compassion. Kindly awareness meditation 6. The accelerator of ART. Behaviors related to CFS and Fibromyalgia. Metta meditation 7. Aware of negative thoughts related to stress stimulus. Mindfulness in daily activities 8. Limiting beliefs, identity patterns. Motivation and sense of life. Meditation on values 9. The recovery, cycles and stages. Fear of fail about recovery. Positive Visualization of future self 10. Return to regular life. Mindfulness practice

BEHAVIORALMindfulness Compassion

1. Introduction.Definition of Compassion 2. Self-Esteemed and Compassion 3. Cultivate the understanding of the nature of inner experience. Working positive and negative thoughts.Connecting with difficult emotions 4. Identifying the causes of suffering.How participants contribute to their own suffering. Attachments.Practice of Vulnerability 5. Love,affection and self-compassion.How participants connect with the suffering of others 6. Equanimity 7. Forgiveness 8. Interdependence. Gratitude.Affection to unknown people 9. Developing affection and empathy.Empathy and burn out 10. Review of the practices and meditations

BEHAVIORALRelaxation

10 sessions based on relaxation techniques as active comparator intervention

Sponsors

Hospital Miguel Servet
Lead SponsorOTHER

Study design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
DOUBLE (Investigator, Outcomes Assessor)

Eligibility

Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to 65 Years
Healthy volunteers
Yes

Inclusion criteria

1. Male or female aged between 18-65 years. 2. The patient needs to have the ability to read and understand Spanish 3. All the patients included in the study have been diagnosed with FM by a rheumatologist working for the Spanish National Health Service. 4. It is required that the patient does not modify during the trial the pharmacological treatment prescribed. 5. Signed informed consent.

Exclusion criteria

The patient should not meet any of the following criteria during the study: 1. Age \<18 years or\> 65 years. 2. The patients considered for exclusion are individuals with severe axis I psychiatric disorders (dementia, schizophrenia, paranoid disorder, alcohol and/or drug use disorders) and with severe somatic disorders that, from the clinician's point of view, prevented patients from carrying out a psychological assessment or participating in other clinical trials 3. It is not considered an exclusion criterion antidepressant use, as long as the treatment is not modified during the study period (treatment can be decreased, never increased).

Design outcomes

Primary

MeasureTime frame
Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire (FIQ)baseline
Change post-intervention (3 months) Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire (FIQ)post-intervention (3 months)
Change follow-up (6 months) Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire (FIQ)follow-up (6 months)

Secondary

MeasureTime frame
Change follow-up (6 months) Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS)follow-up (6 months)
Fibrofatigue Scale (FFS)baseline
Change post-intervention (3 months) Fibrofatigue Scale (FFS)post-intervention (3 months)
Change follow-up (6 months) Fibrofatigue Scale (FFS)follow-up (6 months)
Euroqol Quality of Life Questionnairebaseline
Change post-intervention (3 months) Euroqol Quality of Life Questionnairepost-intervention (3 months)
Change follow-up (6 months) Euroqol Quality of Life Questionnairefollow-up (6 months)
Pain Catastrophizing Scalebaseline
Change post-intervention (3 months) Pain Catastrophizing Scalepost-intervention (3 months)
Change follow-up (6 months) Pain Catastrophizing Scalefollow-up (6 months)
Acceptance Questionaire AAQ-IIbaseline
Change post-intervention (3 months) Acceptance Questionaire AAQ-IIpost-intervention (3 months)
Change follow-up (6 months) Acceptance Questionaire AAQ-IIfollow-up (6 months)
Sociodemographic Databaseline
Change post-intervention (3 months) Five Facets Mindfulness Questionaire FFMQpost-intervention (3 months)
Change follow-up (6 months) Five Facets Mindfulness Questionaire FFMQfollow-up (6 months)
Self-compassion Scalebaseline
Change post-intervention (3 months) Self-compassion Scalepost-intervention (3 months)
Change follow-up (6 months) Self-compassion Scalefollow-up (6 months)
Serum Levels of Interleukins IL-6, IL-10baseline
Change post-intervention (3 months) Serum Levels of Interleukins IL-6, IL-10post-intervention (3 months)
Serum levels of Brain Derived Neurotrophic Factor BDNFbaseline
Change post-intervention (3 months) Serum levels of Brain Derived Neurotrophic Factor BDNFpost-intervention (3 months)
High-sensitivity C-reactive Proteinbaseline
Change post-intervention (3 months) High-sensitivity C-reactive Proteinpost-intervention (3 months)
Serum levels of Tumor Necrosis Factor TNF alphabaseline
Change post-intervention (3 months) Serum levels of Tumor Necrosis Factor TNF alphapost-intervention (3 months)
Five Facets Mindfulness Questionaire FFMQbaseline
Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS)baseline
Change post-intervention (3 months) Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS)post-intervention (3 months)

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: Feb 24, 2026