Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Patients with Chronic Musculoskeletal Disorders: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

BackgroundCognitive behavioral therapy for obsessive-compulsive disorder has been established, but access to this therapy in Japan is limited. Internet-based cognitive behavioral therapy may improve treatment accessibility and sufficiently improve obsessive-compulsive symptoms. There are few randomized controlled trials examining the effectiveness of internet-based cognitive behavioral therapy in patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder. We designed a randomized controlled trial protocol to assess the effectiveness of guided internet-based cognitive behavioral therapy in Japanese patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder.ObjectiveWe aimed to develop a protocol for a randomized controlled trial of internet-based cognitive behavioral therapy in Japanese patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder.MethodsThe randomized controlled trial will compare internet-based cognitive behavioral therapy treatment and usual care groups, each consisting of 15 participants (n=30) diagnosed with obsessive-compulsive disorder. We will evaluate the effectiveness of a 12-week intervention. The primary outcome of symptom severity will be measured using the Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale. Secondary outcomes will be assessed with the Obsessive-Compulsive Inventory, Beck Anxiety Inventory, Patient Health Questionnaire-9, Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7, Working Alliance Inventory-Short Form, and the Euro Qol – 5 Dimension. All measures will be assessed at weeks 0 (baseline) and 12 (follow-up). In the statistical analysis comparing treatment effects, the least-squares means and their 95% CIs will be estimated by analysis of covariance with the change in total outcomes scores at week 12. All comparisons are planned, and all P values will be two-sided, with values <.05 considered statistically significant.ResultsThe study will be performed from January 2020 to March 2021, and results are expected to be available in mid-2021.ConclusionsThe trial will demonstrate whether internet-based cognitive behavioral therapy improves access and is more effective than more usual care for patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder in Japan.Trial RegistrationUniversity Hospital Medical Information Network (UMIN) 000039375; https://upload.umin.ac.jp/cgi-open-bin/ctr/ctr_view.cgi?recptno=R000044422International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID)DERR1-10.2196/18216

Total knee arthroplasty (TKA) is considered a common surgical option in patients with end-stage osteoarthritis of the knee. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to determine the effectiveness of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) for patients after TKA. PubMed, EMBASE, the Cochrane Library, Web of Science and CINAHL were searched for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) from inception to 20 August 2021. Included studies were evaluated with the Cochrane risk-of-bias tool. Six RCTs were included. Our study results demonstrated that a significant reduction in pain catastrophing was seen in patients receiving CBT at post-intervention (SMD −0.48, 95% CI = −0.72 to −0.23, I2 17.2%, p = 0.00) but not in 3-month or 12-month follow-up. There were no significant differences between CBT and usual-care patients regarding pain intensity or knee function at different time-points. This is the first time that meta-analysis has been conducted to determine the effectiveness of CBT for patients after TKA. It is necessary to conduct longer follow-ups, include larger samples and conduct rigorous RCTs to further explore this issue.

A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials of cognitive behavior therapy for patients with diabetes and depression

Tailoring cognitive-behavioral treatment for cancer pain

The clinical usefulness of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) for patients with depression who do not remit with pharmacotherapy has been recognized. However, the longer time burden on health care providers associated with conducting CBT and the lack of a system for providing CBT lead to inadequate CBT provision to patients who wish to receive it. We aim to evaluate the feasibility of introducing virtual reality (VR) into CBT for patients with depression. This is a single-center, interventional, exploratory, single-arm, nonrandomized, open, pre-post-comparative feasibility study of an unapproved medical device program to evaluate the acceptability, preliminary efficacy, and safety of the study device.Eligible patients meet the diagnostic criteria of the DSM-5 (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th Edition) for major depressive disorder, have a 17-item Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAMD-17) score of ≥12, and are aged 18-65 years. The sample will comprise 12 patients. VR-based CBT (CBT-VR) sessions will be conducted once a week in an outpatient setting. CBT-VR has been developed in accordance with 6 stages and 16 sessions in the current CBT therapist manual. VR contents and other components correspond to the themes of these 16 sessions. The flow of CBT-VR treatment is similar to that of normal CBT; however, this product replaces the in-person portion of CBT. The primary end point will be the change in the HAMD-17 score from baseline up to 16 sessions. Secondary end points will be treatment retention; psychiatrist consultation time; satisfaction with the equipment or program; ease of use; homework compliance; change in the HAMD-17 score from baseline up to 8 sessions; change in Montgomery-Åsberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS), Quick Inventory of Depressive Symptomatology Self-Report (QIDS-SR), EQ-5D-5L, and Clinical Global Impressions (CGI) scores from baseline up to 8 and 16 sessions; and change in remission and response rates and HAMD-17, MADRS, QIDS-SR, and EQ-5D-5L scores from baseline to 3 and 6 months post intervention (or discontinuation). CBT-VR's feasibility will be assessed at baseline, after 8 sessions, after 16 sessions, or treatment discontinuation, by measuring the time required for testing and medical care during each session and with a patient questionnaire. After intervention discontinuation, a follow-up evaluation will be conducted unless the patient withdraws consent or otherwise discontinues participation in the study after 3 and 6 months. Participant recruitment started on November 30, 2022, and data collection is ongoing as of September 2023. This study is the first step in testing the acceptability, feasibility, and preliminary efficacy and safety of CBT-VR for patients with depression without controls in an open-label trial. If its feasibility for depression treatment is confirmed, we intend to proceed to a large-scale validation study. Japan Registry of Clinical Trials jRCTs032220481; https://jrct.niph.go.jp/en-latest-detail/jRCTs032220481. DERR1-10.2196/49698.

Background:Cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) involving exposure and response prevention is the gold standard psychotherapeutic intervention for obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). However, applying traditional CBT techniques to treat patients with predominant obsessions (POs) without covert compulsions is fraught with problems because of inaccessibility of mental compulsions. In this context, we examined the efficacy of mindfulness-integrated CBT (MICBT) in patients with POs without prominent overt compulsions.Materials and Methods:Twenty-seven patients with Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition diagnosis of OCD were recruited from the specialty OCD clinic and the behavior therapy services of a tertiary care psychiatric hospital over 14 months. Patients had few or no overt compulsions and were free of medication or on a stable medication regimen for at least 2 months prior to baseline assessment. All patients received 12–16 sessions of MICBT on an outpatient basis. An independent rater (psychiatrist) administered the Yale–Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale (YBOCS) and the Clinical Global Impression Scale at baseline, mid- and post-treatment, and at 3-month follow-up.Results:Of the 27 patients, 18 (67%) achieved remission (55% reduction in the YBOCS severity score) at 3-month follow-up. The average mean percentage reduction of obsessive severity at postintervention and 3-month follow-up was 56 (standard deviation [SD] = 23) and 63 (SD = 21), respectively.Conclusions:Our study demonstrates that MICBT is efficacious in treating patients with POs without prominent overt compulsions. The results of this open-label study are encouraging and suggest that a larger randomized controlled trial examining the effects of MICBT may now be warranted.

AimInconsistent results continue to be reported in studies that examine the neural correlates of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) in patients with panic disorder. We examined the changes in regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) associated with the alleviation of anxiety by CBT in panic patients.MethodsThe change in rCBF and clinical symptoms before and after CBT were assessed using single photon emission computed tomography and various clinical measures were analyzed.ResultsFourteen subjects who completed CBT showed significant improvements in symptoms on clinical measures, including the Panic and Agoraphobic Scale and the Anxiety Sensitivity Index-Revised. After CBT, increased rCBF was detected in the left postcentral gyrus (BA 43), left precentral gyrus (BA 4), and left inferior frontal gyrus (BA 9 and BA 47), whereas decreased rCBF was detected in the left pons. Correlation analysis of the association between the changes in rCBF and changes in each clinical measure did not show significant results.ConclusionWe found changes in the rCBF associated with the successful completion of CBT. The present findings may help clarify the effects of CBT on changes in brain activity in panic disorder.

BackgroundA multi-centre RCT has shown that multidisciplinary rehabilitation treatment (MRT) is more effective in reducing fatigue over the long-term in comparison with cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) for patients with chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), but evidence on its cost-effectiveness is lacking.AimTo compare the cost-effectiveness of MRT versus CBT for patients with CFS from a societal perspective.MethodsA multi-centre randomized controlled trial comparing MRT with CBT was conducted among 122 patients with CFS diagnosed using the 1994 criteria of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and aged between 18 and 60 years. The societal costs (healthcare costs, patient and family costs, and costs for loss of productivity), fatigue severity, quality of life, quality-adjusted life-year (QALY), and cost-effectiveness ratios (ICERs) were measured over a follow-up period of one year. The main outcome of the cost-effectiveness analysis was fatigue measured by the Checklist Individual Strength (CIS). The main outcome of the cost-utility analysis was the QALY based on the EuroQol-5D-3L utilities. Sensitivity analyses were performed, and uncertainty was calculated using the cost-effectiveness acceptability curves and cost-effectiveness planes.ResultsThe data of 109 patients (57 MRT and 52 CBT) were analyzed. MRT was significantly more effective in reducing fatigue at 52 weeks. The mean difference in QALY between the treatments was not significant (0.09, 95% CI: -0.02 to 0.19). The total societal costs were significantly higher for patients allocated to MRT (a difference of €5,389, 95% CI: 2,488 to 8,091). MRT has a high probability of being the most cost effective, using fatigue as the primary outcome. The ICER is €856 per unit of the CIS fatigue subscale. The results of the cost-utility analysis, using the QALY, indicate that the CBT had a higher likelihood of being more cost-effective.ConclusionsThe probability of being more cost-effective is higher for MRT when using fatigue as primary outcome variable. Using QALY as the primary outcome, CBT has the highest probability of being more cost-effective.Trial registrationISRCTN77567702.

We investigated the effectiveness of cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) for patients with psychological disorders thought to be influencing recovery from elective and traumatic hand conditions. Demographic data and psychological assessment scores (Primary Health Questionnaire 9 (PHQ9), General Anxiety Disorder Assessment (GAD7), Impact of Event Scale (IES)) were prospectively collected before and after CBT treatment. One hundred and fourteen patients underwent CBT with 81 completing treatment. Full data was available for 78 (68%) patients. Mean age was 43 (range 13-84) and 63% were women. Sixty-one per cent had sustained a traumatic hand injury. PHQ9, GAD7 and IES scores decreased significantly following treatment. Many patients with hand conditions have associated psychological problems that may influence outcome. CBT in a hand unit setting appears to be an effective treatment. Further research with a control group should investigate whether CBT improves psychological health or if this may occur as patients recover from their physical hand disorder regardless of CBT.Level of evidence: IV.

The aim of this trial was to evaluate the difference in treatment effect, at 26 and 52 weeks after the start of treatment, between cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) and multidisciplinary rehabilitation treatment (MRT) for patients with chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS). Multicentre, randomized controlled trial of patients with CFS. Participants were randomly assigned to MRT or CBT. Four rehabilitation centres in the Netherlands. A total of 122 patients participated in the trial. Primary outcomes were fatigue measured by the fatigue subscale of the Checklist Individual Strength and health-related quality of life measured by the Short-Form 36. Outcomes were assessed prior to treatment and at 26 and 52 weeks after treatment initiation. A total of 114 participants completed the assessment at 26 weeks, and 112 completed the assessment at 52 weeks. MRT was significantly more effective than CBT in reducing fatigue at 52 weeks. The estimated difference in fatigue between the two treatments was -3.02 [95% confidence interval (CI) -8.07 to 2.03; P = 0.24] at 26 weeks and -5.69 (95% CI -10.62 to -0.76; P = 0.02) at 52 weeks. Patients showed an improvement in quality of life over time, but between-group differences were not significant. This study provides evidence that MRT is more effective in reducing long-term fatigue severity than CBT in patients with CFS. Although implementation in comparable populations can be recommended based on clinical effectiveness, it is advisable to analyse the cost-effectiveness and replicate these findings in another multicentre trial.

ObjectiveMajor depressive disorder (MDD) has a negative impact on individuals ability to work, and is often associated with long phases of sick leave. Consequently, interventions facilitating return to work in patients with MDD gained increased attention during last decades. We here report results of a feasibility study where a “return-to-work” (RTW) module published by Lagerveld and colleagues in the Netherlands was integrated in cognitive behavioral therapy in depressed patients with long-term sick leaves in Germany. Our study aimed to answer the following questions: Is RTW accepted by patients and therapists? Do RTW interventions lead to return-to-work? Do depressive symptoms improve?MethodsTwenty patients with MDD (15 female; mean age, 45 ± 9 years) were included. Patients received cognitive-behavioral therapy with an integrated, standardized return-to-work module (W-CBT). Psychometric measurements included Beck Depression Inventory (BDI-2) and work ability index (WAI). Further, time until return-to-work was measured, and acceptability of W-CBT was assessed using visual analog scales and open questions.ResultsMean sick leave days in depressed patients were 127 ± 97, and 75% of patients were sick leave for more than 6 weeks. After treatment, 11/20 patients had returned to their former occupation (55%), 5/20 were in occupational re-deployment or started a new job (25%), and 3/20 patients were still on sick leave (2/20; 10%) or received a pension (1/20; 5%). One patient dropped out. BDI-2 sum score improved from 23 ± 8 to 8 ± 5 (p < 0.001), and WAI improved from 28 ± 6 to 39 ± 7 (p < 0.001). Acceptability of W-CBT in patients and therapists was high.ConclusionWe here demonstrate feasibility and acceptability of an RTW module integrated in standard cognitive behavioral therapy. W-CBT leads to improvement of work ability, paralleled by improvement of depressive symptoms. Despite the limitations of this uncontrolled study, the results propose that W-CBT may be feasible in the treatment of depressed patients with long sick leaves and justify a controlled trial evaluating the efficacy of W-CBT.

To evaluate the long-term effectiveness of a web-based therapist-delivered cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) for patients with eating disorders (ED). We used follow-up data from a randomized controlled trial that evaluated a web-based CBT on ED psychopathology and related health, compared to a waiting list control (WL) condition. As participants of the WL condition started the intervention after their waiting period, follow-up data included participants from both groups. The primary outcome was change from baseline, at 3, 6, and 12-month intervals in ED psychopathology, analyzed using mixed models for repeated measures. Secondary outcomes included body dissatisfaction, BMI, physical health, mental health, self-esteem, quality of life, and social functioning. The population comprised 212 participants in total, in three subgroups: bulimia nervosa (BN; n = 44), binge eating disorder (BED; n = 83), and ED not otherwise specified (EDNOS; n = 85). Treatment effects were sustained during follow-up, with generally large effect sizes for the reduction of ED psychopathology and body dissatisfaction, and small to moderate effect sizes for physical and mental health, self-esteem, social functioning, and quality of life. Most effects were found for all three subgroups, except for long-term improvements in self-esteem and quality of life among participants with BN and EDNOS. This study showed long-term sustainability of treatment effects up to 1-year post-treatment of a web-based therapist-delivered CBT for patients with various ED. Level IV, evidence obtained from multiple time series analysis, with intervention. NTR2415-Dutch Trial Registry ( http://www.trialregister.nl/trialreg/admin/rctview.asp?TC=2415 ).

The aim of this review is to explore the clinical nursing application of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) in patients with schizophrenia. A literature search was conducted using the CINAHL and MEDLINE databases. The database search occurred during the month of December 2022. This article comprehensively summarizes the theoretical basis of CBT in improving schizophrenia in clinical nursing, its application in managing symptoms and improving social function, as well as research progress in this field. There are still inconsistencies in the research results on CBT, but overall, psychological intervention combined with drug treatment is more effective than conventional treatment alone. If social function training can be added at the same time, it is believed that it will have better effects on clinical treatment and can maintain long-lasting effectiveness. Only in this way can patients truly understand and recognize the disease, improve treatment compliance, and ultimately achieve the goal of improving prognosis and quality of life.

There is limited research examining the impact of the validity of cognitive test performance on treatment outcome. All known studies to date have operationalized performance validity dichotomously, leading to the loss of predictive information. Using the range of scores on a performance validity test (PVT), we hypothesized that lower performance at baseline was related to a worse treatment outcome following cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) in patients with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) and to lower adherence to treatment. Archival data of 1081 outpatients treated with CBT for CFS were used in this study. At baseline, all patients were assessed with a PVT, the Amsterdam Short-Term Memory test (ASTM). Questionnaires assessing fatigue, physical disabilities, psychological distress, and level of functional impairment were administered before and after CBT. Our main hypothesis was not confirmed: the total ASTM score was not significantly associated with outcomes at follow-up. However, patients with a missing follow-up assessment had a lower ASTM performance at baseline, reported higher levels of physical limitations, and completed fewer therapy sessions. CFS patients who scored low on the ASTM during baseline assessment are more likely to complete fewer therapy sessions and not to complete follow-up assessment, indicative of limited adherence to treatment. However, if these patients were retained in the intervention, their response to CBT for CFS was comparable with subjects who score high on the ASTM. This finding calls for more research to better understand the impact of performance validity on engagement with treatment and outcomes.

Anxiety disorders are the most common comorbid psychiatric disorders in patients with bipolar disorder. Managing anxiety symptoms in comorbid conditions is challenging and has received little research interest. The findings from preclinical research on fear conditioning, an animal model of anxiety disorder, have suggested that memory reconsolidation updating (exposure-based therapy) combined with valproate might facilitate the amelioration of fear memories. Here, three cases of successful amelioration of agoraphobia and panic symptoms through valproate adjuvant therapy for cognitive behavioral therapy in patients who failed to respond to two to three consecutive standard pharmacotherapy trials over several years are described. To the best of the author’s knowledge, this is the first attempt to combine CBT with valproate in patients with panic disorder, agoraphobia, and comorbid bipolar disorder. Additionally, the background preclinical research on this combination therapy based on the reconsolidation-updating mechanism, the inhibition of histone deacetylase 2, and critical period reopening, off-label use of valproate in panic disorder, plasticity-augmented psychotherapy, and how to combine valproate with CBT is discussed.