Full title: right hemisphere safety backup at work: Hypotheses for deep hypnosis, post-traumatic stress disorder, and dissociation identity disorder.

This study addresses an interesting phenomenon regarding which part of the brain is more active during a hypnotic trance versus when trance is not present. When faced with one of six key problem areas of living, should the subject hypnotized, the right hemisphere tends to be more dominant. The opposite is true for a non-hypnotic subject.

Predominantly, two problems were addressed. These were raising hope of certainty about the environment, which activated the right hemisphere, and raising the hope of freedom or power of control, which dealt with the left hemisphere. The hypothesis is that during deep hypnosis this normal association is switched. This is also believed to be the case when dissociated identity disorder (DID) or PTSD is involved.

Med Hypotheses. 2013 Jun 19. pii: S0306-9877(13)00267-3. doi: 10.1016/j.mehy.2013.05.026. Burnand G. New University of Buckinghamshire (Retired), High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, United Kingdom. Electronic address: burnand.gordon@gmail.com.

Levitas et al. (2006) showed in a cohort study that hypnosis during embryo transfer (ET) increased pregnancy ratio by 76%. In order to evaluate hypnosis during ET in a general population, the authors performed a randomized prospective controlled study comparing diazepam (usual premedication) administered before ET plus muscle relaxation versus hypnosis plus placebo in 94 patients. Additionally, the authors studied anxiety pre and post ET. Anxiety scores were not different in the two groups before and after ET. No difference in pregnancy and birth ratio was found in the two groups. Hypnosis during ET is as effective as diazepam in terms of pregnancy ratio and anxiolytic effects, but with fewer side effects and should be routinely available.

Am J Clin Hypn. 2013 Apr;55(4):378-86. Catoire P, Delaunay L, Dannappel T, Baracchini D, Marcadet-Fredet S, Moreau O, Pacaud L, Przyrowski D, Marret E. Clinique du Mail, Department of Anesthesia, La Rochelle, France. catoire8105@orange.fr

Full Title: Efficacy of hypnosis in adults undergoing surgery or medical procedures: A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

Although the authors of the study recommended further Randomized Controlled Trials, this meta-analysis investigating the efficacy of hypnosis in adults undergoing surgical or medical procedures showed the positive treatment effects on emotional distress and medication consumption were demonstrated and showed promising evidence of hypnosis in these situations. The study comprised of 2,597 patients.

Clin Psychol Rev. 2013 Jul;33(5):623-36. doi: 10.1016/j.cpr.2013.03.005. Tefikow S, Barth J, Maichrowitz S, Beelmann A, Strauss B, Rosendahl J. Jena University Hospital, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Institute of Psychosocial Medicine and Psychotherapy, Jena, Germany. Electronic address: susan.tefikow@med.uni-jena.de.

by Coach Cary Bayer

Alternative healers who've been in classes of mine of late have heard me speak of lighthouses. You might scratch your head and wonder why a CE provider and alternative healer coach, such as myself, is talking to healers about buildings that stay lit all night long for ships in the dark. It's because one important ingredient for therapists to succeed in this economy is to stay lit for all those ships--read, human beings--who are sailing--or more precisely, flailing--around in the dark. There are people running around in circles, running on treadmills like lab rats, and getting mighty tired, stressed, and scared in the process. All that fatigue, tension, and fear gets stored in the muscles of their ravaged bodies. They need to find a steady light to help them through this dark time. You can be that light for them--and if you do, you can thrive even during this difficult economy.

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Labour pain is one of the most important factors in shaping women's experiences of birth. Choice around pharmacological relief can be complex. Clinical hypnosis is a non-pharmacological option which a number of women have chosen to use, often paying privately to do so. Self hypnosis allows women the opportunity to take control of this technique. Research findings relating to the therapy vary; some trials have found positive effects by way of a reduction in use of pharmacological pain relief, oxytocin use and shortened first stage of labour. Inclusion of the therapy as a means to invoke relaxation and counter the effects of stress and anxiety alone may be valid reasons for consideration of its use. This article outlines the framework used in clinical hypnosis and discusses some of the issues relating to the evidence base for it.

Pract Midwife. 2013 May;16(5):10-3. Kenyon C. University of Huddersfield.

Full Title: Effect of self-hypnosis on duration of labor and maternal and neonatal outcomes: a randomized controlled trial.

A study conducted with 1,222 women at Aarhaus University Hosital in Denmark showed that self-hypnosis faled to show any effects on duration of childbirth and other birth outcomes. However, fewer emergency and elective cesarean sections occurred in the hypnosis group. There was no difference in the length of the expulsion phase of the second stage of labor.

The hypnosis group received three one-hour self-hypnosis lessons and an additional audio-recording intended to ease childbirth. A second relaxation group was taught mindfulness and provided appropriate audio-recordings. The third group received only the usual antenatal care.

Werner A, Uldbjerg N, Zachariae R, Nohr EA. Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Aarhus University Hospital Skejby, Aarhus, Denmark.

Full title: Preprocedural distress in children with cancer: an intervention using biofeedback and relaxation.

Children diagnosed with cancer experience many invasive procedures throughout diagnosis and treatment of their disease. These procedures, oftentimes a source of distress in children, can elicit a variety of anticipatory symptoms prior to the actual procedure. Although there have been efforts to develop approaches to alleviate this distress through use of distraction, relaxation, sedation, guided imagery, and hypnosis, there has not been a combination treatment that merged relaxation techniques and biofeedback within a pediatric framework. A group of 12 children diagnosed with cancer participated in a 4-session intervention combining relaxation and biofeedback. This feasibility study suggests that the combination intervention offered in a clinical setting may be beneficial to children experiencing procedural distress as a novel coping strategy.

J Pediatr Oncol Nurs. 2013 May-Jun;30(3):129-38. doi: 10.1177/1043454213479035. Shockey DP, Menzies V, Glick DF, Taylor AG, Boitnott A, Rovnyak V. Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA 23298 , USA. dshockey@mcvh-vcu.edu

In a randomized controlled clinical trial conducted at the University of Adelaide (Austrialia) between December 2005 and December 2010, it was their objective to see if there was an impact on pharmacologicl analgesia during childbirth when antenatal hypnosis was used. They found that there was no difference when using pharmacological analgesia during labor and childbirth or merely using hypnosis and a CD (by a hypnotherapist).

448 women were included in this study. They were planning a vaginal birth. Excluded from this group were women who needed a translator, had psychiatric illnesses, younger than 18 years, and had previous experience with childbirth.

The method used a combination of three live sessions plus the use of the CD between sessions. There was also a fourth CD that they were to listen to during labor. No information was provided as to the type of induction or suggestions given. That would have been extremely useful as there tends to be a large difference between direct and indirect suggestions when used in such as study. Also, they did not mention the training and experience of the hypnotherapist who conducted the live sessions or the creator of the CDs. Therefore, this study is largely flawed.

BJOG. 2013 Jul 3. doi: 10.1111/1471-0528.12320. Cyna A, Crowther C, Robinson J, Andrew M, Antoniou G, Baghurst P. Department of Women's Anaesthesia, Women's & Children's Hospital, North Adelaide, Australia; Acute Care Medicine, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, Australia.