Using hypnotic suggestion in the rehabilitation of working memory capacity after acquired brain injury: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial

DiscussionRehabilitation of impaired WM after ABI has hitherto yielded limited transfer effects beyond the training material, i.e., improvement effects on everyday WM capacity, and clinical trials of new interventions are thus warranted. Long-standing empirical evidence demonstrates that hypnosis is an effective therapeutic technique in a wide range of conditions, and recent exploratory research has suggested a high efficacy of hypnosis in improving WM capacity in patients with ABI. However, these extraordinary findings need replication in studies applying scientifically rigorous designs. If successful, our ambition is to provide recommendations and materials to implement hypnotic suggestion as an adjunct treatment following ABI. Study findings may inform future studies exploring the use of clinical hypnosis in other areas of rehabilitation, such as mild TBI, and in other neurological conditions where WM deficit is prominent.Trial registrationClinicalTrials.gov NCT05287542. Registered on March 2022Protocol versionProtocol version 2.0, December 2023.
Source: Trials - Category: Research Source Type: clinical trials