An Evaluation of Hypnotic Susceptibility and Peripheral Temperature Elevation in the Treatment of Migraine

The current study evaluated the various inter-relationships between hypnotic susceptibility, finger temperature elevation and symptom relief in the treatment of female migraine patients. Finger temperature measurements were taken during three thermal imagery training sessions with high susceptible Ss (n = 9) in hypnosis and low hypnotically susceptible Ss (n = 14) in simulated hypnosis. Subjects were also trained in autohypnosis or simulated autohypnosis for subsequent home practice. Daily records, kept by Ss, provided data for six outcome measures which were analyzed for the periods prior to training and for 6 months of follow-up. All Ss, regardless of susceptibility or peripheral temperature alteration, showed significant decrements in frequency, intensity, and duration of headaches, as well as in amount of medication ingested. The findings are discussed in terms of a potentially viable alternative to customary pharmacologic treatment.