This case report evaluates virtual reality hypnosis (VRH) in treating chronic neuropathic pain in a patient with a 5-year history of failed treatments. The patient participated in a 6-month trial of VRH, and her pain ratings of intensity and unpleasantness dropped on average 36% and 33%, respectively, over the course of 33 sessions. In addition, she reported both no pain and a reduction of pain for an average of 3.86 and 12.21 hours, respectively, after treatment sessions throughout the course of the VRH treatment. These reductions and the duration of treatment effects following VRH treatment were superior to those following a trial of standard hypnosis (non-VR) treatment. However, the pain reductions with VRH did not persist over long periods of time. The findings support the potential of VRH treatment for helping individuals with refractory chronic pain conditions.

Int J Clin Exp Hypn. 2008 Oct;56(4):451-62. Oneal BJ, Patterson DR, Soltani M, Teeley A, Jensen MP. University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, Washington, USA. davepatt@u.washington.edu

The objective of this survey is to determine the frequency, reasons, and factors influencing use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) in general and specialty pediatrics within the same geographic area. Of the 281 surveys completed, CAM use was higher in children with epilepsy (61.9%), cancer (59%), asthma (50.7%), and sickle cell disease (47.4%) than in general pediatrics (36%). Children most often used prayer (60.5%), massage (27.9%), specialty vitamins (27.2%), chiropractic care (25.9%), and dietary supplements (21.8%). Parents who used CAM for themselves (68.7%) were more likely to access CAM for their child. Most parents (62.6%) disclosed some or all of their child's use of CAM to providers. This study confirms that within the same geographic region, children with chronic and life-threatening illness use more CAM therapies than children seen in primary care clinics. Children with cancer use CAM for different reasons than children with non-life-threatening illnesses.

J Pediatr Oncol Nurs. 2009 Jan-Feb;26(1):7-15. Post-White J, Fitzgerald M, Hageness S, Sencer SF. University of Minnesota, postw001@umn.edu.

This experiment aimed to create a laboratory analogue of déjà vu. During hypnosis, 1 group of high hypnotizables completed a puzzle game and then received a posthypnotic amnesia suggestion to forget the game (PHA condition). Another group of highs were not given the game but received a posthypnotic familiarity suggestion that it would feel familiar (PHF condition). After hypnosis, all participants were given the game and described their reactions to it. Whereas 83% of participants in both conditions passed their respective suggestions, more in the PHF condition felt a sense of déjà vu. An EAT inquiry revealed that they experienced sensory fascination and confusion about the source of familiarity, akin to everyday déjà vu. These findings highlight the value of using hypnosis as a laboratory analogue of déjà vu and provide a framework for investigating clinical manifestations of this phenomenon.

Int J Clin Exp Hypn. 2008 Oct;56(4):425-50. O'Connor AR, Barnier AJ, Cox RE. University of Leeds, United Kingdom. aoconnor@wustl.edu

Hypnotist perceptions of participant cues and behaviors were investigated in an in-depth phenomenological study focusing on the influence of participant hypnotizability and hypnotist style. Two hypnotists and 124 participants (63 hypnotizable and 61 nonhypnotizable) took part. Two modifications of the Experiential Analysis Technique (EAT) were employed. One version involved a new modification where both hypnotist and participant took part together in the EAT session. The second version involved the EAT with the hypnotist alone as per an existing modification of the technique. Results extend earlier work pointing to the active, sentient nature of hypnotist involvement and highlight the particular importance of first impressions in shaping hypnotists' perceptions of participant hypnotizability. Results point to difficulties inherent in the hypnotist role. Findings overall support devoting increased attention to the nature of hypnotists' involvement and its implications for understanding relational processes in hypnosis.

Int J Clin Exp Hypn. 2008 Oct;56(4):394-424. Whitehead S, Noller P, Sheehan PW. University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia. prgordon@bigpond.net.au

The authors review the most important Spanish contributions to hypnosis during the 19th and 20th centuries, with emphasis on the work of Santiago Ramon y Cajal, winner of the 1906 Nobel Prize in medicine. It is widely accepted that he provided a basic foundation for modern neurosciences with his work on neuronal staining and synaptic transmission. What is missing in most accounts of his work is his longstanding interest and work on hypnosis and anomalous phenomena. This article summarizes that lost legacy, discusses other Spanish hypnosis pioneers and gives a brief overview of current hypnosis activities in Spain.

Int J Clin Exp Hypn. 2008 Oct;56(4):361-72. Sala J, Cardeña E, Holgado MC, Añez C, Pérez P, Periñan R, Capafons A. Joan XXIII University Hospital, Tarragona, Spain.

The Journal of the American Medical Association reported The First Recorded Death in Hypnosis in its issue of October 27, 1894. Ninety-nine years later, on September 23, 1993 a healthy 24-year old mother of two was found dead at home, fully clothed and draped across the foot of one of her children's bed, 5 hours after volunteering as a subject for a stage hypnosis show. The suggestion given to terminate the trance had been that when the hypnotist said, "Goodnight", several subjects would feel 10,000 volts of electricity through the seat of their chairs. Unknown to the hypnotist, she had been phobic about electricity ever since a childhood shock, and would not even change a light bulb or plug in a cord. The coroner's verdict was death by natural causes.

Am J Clin Hypn. 2008 Jul;51(1):69-75. Ewin DM. Tulane Medical School, USA. dabneyewin@aol.com

There is broad agreement that a phenomenon we call "hypnosis" exists. However, there is no generally accepted definition of hypnosis. A brief historical overview of the use of hypnosis in healing practices demonstrates how it evolved willy-nilly, and like Topsy, "just growed" into its current status in medicine, psychiatry, psychology and dentistry. The mechanisms underlying hypnosis and how hypnosis differs from other cognitive states are almost totally unknown. With the exceptions of suggestions for pain control, current concepts of high, medium, low or non-hypnotizability do not reliably predict clinical outcomes for most medical, psychiatric or dental disorders. We do know that it is relatively easy to reliably evaluate hypnotizability, but other than choosing volunteers or subjects who will or will not exhibit traditional hypnotic phenomena, we rarely know what to do with that evaluation with actual clinical patients. Four case studies, representative of many others, chosen retrospectively from a practice that spans 45 years, illustrate how traditional or modern hypnotizability assessment is irrelevant in the clinical setting. Although the four patients differed obviously and vastly in hypnotizability, they all benefited from the use of hypnosis.

Am J Clin Hypn. 2008 Jul;51(1):57-67. Sutcher H.

Psychotherapy can be conceived as a symbolic drama in which patients can experientially realize their capacity to change. Methods derived from hypnosis can empower therapy without the use of formal trance. A case conducted by Milton Erickson is presented and deconstructed in order to illuminate Erickson's therapeutic patterns. A model is offered for adding drama to therapy, and the model is placed into a larger model of choice points in psychotherapy.

Am J Clin Hypn. 2008 Jul;51(1):41-55. Zeig JK. Milton H. Erickson Foundation, Phoenix, AZ 85016, USA. jeff@erickson-foundation.org

In 2008, the 50th anniversary of ASCH, hypnosis is used increasingly for healthcare applications in hospitals, clinics, and psychotherapy practice. A substantial body of research demonstrates the efficacy of hypnosis as part of the integrative treatment of many conditions that traditional medicine has found difficult to treat (e.g., Pinnell & Covino, 2000; Elkins, Jensen, & Patterson, 2007). The practice of hypnosis in healthcare has been altered and centrally influenced by the rapid growth of technological medicine in the 1950's, the AIDS epidemic and development of psychoneuroimmunology, revolutionary developments in genetics and neuroimaging technology, and the progression from alternative to integrative medicine. We have come to develop more detailed expectations about the beneficial effects of hypnotic interventions for health problems. We have also come to know that in these populations hypnosis can lead not only to reduced anxiety but also specifically altered physiological parameters.

Am J Clin Hypn. 2008 Jul;51(1):13-27. Weisberg MB. Minnesota Head and Neck Pain Clinic, St. Paul, MN 55114, USA. mbw@drmarkweisberg.com

The aim of the experiment was to investigate whether the peculiar attentional/imagery abilities associated with susceptibility to hypnosis might make postural control in highly hypnotizable subjects (Highs) that are less vulnerable to sensory alteration than in individuals with low hypnotic susceptibility (Lows). The movement of the centre of pression (CoP) was monitored in Highs and Lows during alteration of the visual and leg proprioceptive input. The two groups responded differently to eyes closure and to an unstable support and the CoP movement was generally larger and faster in Highs. The stabilogram diffusion analysis indicated a different set point in Highs and Lows and suggested that the former are more independent of specific sensory information than the latter, likely due to different abilities in sensory re-weighting and/or peculiar internal models of postural control. The results are discussed within the general perspective of high pervasiveness of the hypnotizability trait, which modulates cognitive, autonomic and somatic functions.

Exp Brain Res. 2008 Aug 16. Santarcangelo EL, Scattina E, Carli G, Macerata A, Manzoni D. Department of Human Physiology, University of Pisa, Via San Zeno, 31, 56127, Pisa, Italy, enricals@dfb.unipi.it.

OPINION STATEMENT: A number of mind-body interventions have been studied for use with cancer patients, primarily measuring outcomes relating to pain control, anxiety reduction, and enhancing quality of life. This chapter defines the scope and characteristics of mind-body interventions, followed by a selective review of research indicating their appropriate use or cautions in cancer care. Mind-body interventions included are hypnosis, imagery/relaxation, meditation, yoga, and creative therapies. Current evidence supports the efficacy of hypnosis and imagery/relaxation for control of pain and anxiety during cancer treatments. Meditation is supported for reductions in stress and improvements in mood, quality of life, and sleep problems. There is a growing body of support for yoga from randomized controlled trials for improving quality of life, sleep, and mood. Creative therapies such as visual arts, dance, and music may help cancer patients express their feelings and cope with the demands of a cancer experience. Research on biological marker effects of mind-body therapies remains inconclusive. Study of mind-body interventions generally requires additional, methodologically rigorous investigation of how various interventions best assist patients during various phases of cancer survivorship, although a major benefit of these therapies lies in the opportunity for patients to self-select them.

Curr Treat Options Oncol. 2008 Aug 13. Carlson LE, Bultz BD. Department of Psychosocial Resources, Tom Baker Cancer Centre/Alberta Cancer Board, Holy Cross Site, 2202 2nd St. SW, Calgary, AB, Canada, T2S 3C1, l.carlson@ucalgary.ca.

Scott Sandland, C.Ht. is a highly sought out practitioner for medical and dental applications of hypnosis. He has risen to a level of expertise that has attracted the attention of hospitals, private practice doctors and drug and alcohol rehab centers.

Scott has worked with many clinicians in the fields of pain control and addictions. His success has lead to a position on the board of directors for the International Medical and Dental Hypnotherapy Association and a chapter presidency for the International Association of Counselors and Therapists. With his commitment to continued education for himself and his peers, Scott is a Mentor for members of the International Medical and Dental Hypnotherapy Association.

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Improvement in functional neuroimaging allows researchers to disentangle the brain mechanisms involved in the pain modulation encountered during hypnosis. It has been shown that the anterior cingulate and prefrontal cortices are important in the modulation of incoming sensory and noxious input. Moreover, clinical studies in certain types of surgery (eg thyroidectomy, mastectomy and plastic surgery) have demonstrated that hypnosis may avoid general anesthesia.

Rev Med Liege. 2008 May-Jun;63(5-6):424-8. Vanhaudenhuyse A, Boveroux P, Boly M, Schnakers C, Bruno MA, Kirsch M, Demertzi A, Lamy M, Maquet P, Laureys S, Faymonville ME. Coma Science Group, Centre de Recherches du Cyclotron, Université de Liège, Liège, Belgique.

This study investigated the effects of manipulation of attention on verbal priming in highly (Highs) and low (Lows) hypnotizable individuals. Priming was evaluated via the word-stem completion task (WSCT). The experimental paradigm consisted of one condition in full-attention and in two conditions with colored words in which attention was directed, respectively, only to the color and to both color and word. No significant differences between Highs and Lows were found in none of the three attentional conditions. However, during encoding in full-attention, Highs showed shorter reaction times (RTs) than Lows. This is in accord with previous evidence of faster simple and choice RTs in Highs than in Lows, and suggests hypnotizability-related differences in arousal, likely driven by a different cognitive control activity. Also, Highs' self-report of interference of color-naming on word-reading suggests possible differences between Highs and Lows in cognitive activity related to mental effort.

Arch Ital Biol. 2008 Mar;146(1):21-33. Castellani E, Sebastiani L. Department of Human Physiology, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy.

William Gregory was descended from a long line of academics. Although he graduated in medicine, he had earlier determined on a career in Chemistry but more particularly to succeed Professor Thomas Charles Hope in the Edinburgh Chair in that discipline. At various times during the 1830s and 1840s he studied Chemistry at Giessen in Germany under Professor Justus Liebig and was closely associated with him over the succeeding years, translating and editing in all seven of his books. Gregory taught initially in London, at the Edinburgh Extra-mural School, in Dublin, at the Andersonian University, Glasgow and as Mediciner and Professor of Chemistry in Aberdeen. In 1844 he was appointed to the Chair of Chemistry in Edinburgh and remained in this post until his death in 1858. Shortly after he graduated he joined the Edinburgh Phrenological Society (he was initially its Secretary and later President) and took a particularly active role in the meetings of this Society and in the Aberdeen Phrenological Society. He was also interested in the phenomena of Mesmerism and Mesmero-Phrenology, despite the agitation and scorn of many of his academic colleagues both in Aberdeen and in Edinburgh.

J Med Biogr. 2008 Aug;16(3):128-33. Kaufman MH. professor.kaufman@yahoo.co.uk

OBJECTIVE: Two studies examined the effects of the oath or reassurance ("truth induction") on 5- to 7-year-old maltreated children's true and false reports of a minor transgression. METHODS: In both studies an interviewer elicited a promise to tell the truth, reassured children that they would not get in trouble for disclosing the transgression, or gave no instructions before questioning the child. In Study 1, children were encouraged to play with an attractive toy by a confederate, who then informed them that they might get in trouble for playing. In Study 2, a confederate engaged children in play, but did not play with the attractive toy. RESULTS: In Study 1, the oath and reassurance increased disclosure among children who would qualify as competent to take the oath. In Study 2 neither the oath nor reassurance increased false reports among children who would qualify as competent, whether yes/no questions or tag questions were asked. Among non-competent children, reassurance (but not the oath) increased false reports. Children were more likely to accuse the confederate of the transgression than to implicate themselves. CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest that a promise to tell the truth may increase true disclosures without increasing false allegations. Reassurance that specifically mentions the target activity also increases true disclosures, but may increase acquiescence among some children. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: A child-friendly version of the oath may be a useful addition to child interviews.

Child Abuse Negl. 2008 Jul;32(7):738-48. Epub 2008 Jul 2. Lyon TD, Dorado JS. University of Southern California Gould School of Law, 699 Exposition Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90089-0071, USA.