New treatment for fear of the future in MS patients

Rationale: Prevalence of anxiety in MS patients is high and anxiety itself can contribute to the overall decrease of Quality of Life (QoL). The anxiety of MS patients seems mostly specifically focused on the future related to their MS. Evidence of applicability of Eye Movement Desensitisation Reprocessing (EMDR) to desensitize a feared ’worst case scenario’ in the future (flash forward) is growing. EMDR is a cost-effective psychotherapy, especially due to the short duration of the treatment. However, research is needed to examine the flash forward EMDR procedure as treatment option for feared future events.


Objective:
The objective of this study is to examine whether EMDR with flashforward targets can be effective in reducing anxiety related to the future in MS patients. Specifically, following hypotheses will be examined: EMDR with flashforward target significantly decreases anxiety, and decreases worrying as well as improving QoL more, compared to Supportive Listening.


Our hypothesis is that cognitive status (having cognitive disorders) does not influence the treatment effect of EMDR therapy. And that patients with higher Subjective Unit of Disturbance (SUD) scores and patients with more cognitive avoidance strategies benefit more from EMDR therapy.


Study design:
Controlled intervention study, with randomised controlled design (RCT).


Study population:
MS patients (all types of MS) treated in the MSpoli in Elisabeth Tweesteden Hospital (ETZ), suffering from anxiety (HADS-A >=8), male and female, age 18-80.


Intervention:
Patients will randomly be assigned to getting EMDR treatment (EMDR ff) or supportive listening (SL).

The objective of this study is to examine whether EMDR with flashforward targets can be effective in reducing anxiety related to the future in MS patients. Specifically, following hypotheses will be examined: EMDR with flashforward target significantly decreases anxiety, and decreases worrying as well as improving QoL more, compared to Supportive Listening.

Our hypothesis is that cognitive status (having cognitive disorders) does not influence the treatment effect of EMDR therapy. And that patients with higher Subjective Unit of Disturbance (SUD) scores and patients with more cognitive avoidance strategies benefit more from EMDR therapy

T0 (premeting, pre treatment)

T1 (nameting, post treatment)

T2 (follow-up 3 maanden)

group A (treatment group): EMDR treatment with flash forward target

group B (control group): supportive listening