Cancer Survivors
Conditions
Keywords
EMDR, Nausea, Vomiting
Brief summary
To explore the effectiveness of EMDR therapy treatment in reducing symptoms of chemotherapy-induced conditioned nausea and vomiting in (former) patients with cancer.
Detailed description
Conditioned nausea and vomiting is a common side effect of anti-cancer treatment, and while strategies like antiemetics exist, their effectiveness is limited. Conditioned nausea and vomiting can possibly be addressed through Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy. EMDR therapy is a therapeutic intervention, proven to be effective in the treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and promising in treating a range of other conditions. At the UMCG, EMDR therapy is used on a small scale to treat conditioned nausea with positive results, although more rigorous research is needed to fully establish its efficacy. This study aims to explore the effectiveness of EMDR therapy treatment in reducing symptoms of chemotherapy-induced conditioned nausea and vomiting in (former) patients with cancer.
Interventions
OTHEREMDR therapy
In this study, EMDR therapy will be performed by psychologists of the UMCG who are trained in EMDR therapy and who have experience with patients with somatic diseases. In the EMDR therapy protocol, the patient is guided through eight phases which incorporate dual focus of attention and alternating bilateral visual, auditory, and/or tactile stimulation (see supplement for protocol). The number of sessions varies per patient (1-3 sessions), depending on the desensitization of the conditioned stimuli. The sessions will last 60-90 minutes.
Sponsors
University Medical Center Groningen
Study design
Allocation
NA
Intervention model
SINGLE_GROUP
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
16 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
No
Inclusion criteria
* Previously pathologically confirmed diagnosis of cancer * Previously treated with systemic cancer therapy * Persistent complaints (more than 2 months) of conditioned nausea and/or vomiting * Able to understand spoken and written Dutch * 18 years or older
Exclusion criteria
* Ongoing psychiatric treatment * EMDR therapy contraindications (dissociative disorders, personality disorders or severe somatic disorders (e.g. cardiac arrhythmias)) * Complex type 2 trauma * Known with recent conditions / non-anti-cancer medication which can elicit nausea (e.g. pregnancy or alcohol abuses)
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Degree of conditioned nausea and vomiting | Before intake EMDR therapy session and three weeks after last EMDR therapy session | Degree of conditioned nausea and vomiting after exposure to conditioned stimuli using the nausea profile questionnaire measured using the nausea profile questionnaire (9-point Likert scale, higher scores = worse outcome) |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Impact on QoL of conditioned nausea and vomiting | Before EMDR therapy | Impact on QoL of conditioned nausea and vomiting using Functional Living Index- Emesis (FLIE) questionnaire (7-point Likert scale, higher scores = better/worse outcome, depending on the question) |
Countries
Netherlands
Contacts
Primary ContactJacco J de Haan, MD, PhD
Outcome results
None listed