Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) to Treat Chronic Pruritus

Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) to Treat Chronic Pruritus in a Multidisciplinary Tertiary Care Setting- a Feasibility Study

Pruritus is a common symptom of numerous dermatological and non-dermatological conditions. Current treatments for chronic pruritus (CP) are often not fully effective and may have burdensome side effects. Recently, the trauma exposure technique Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) that is recommended as first line treatment for posttraumatic stress disorder has been reported to be also effective in the treatment of CP in anecdotal clinical case observations. However, to the best of the investigator's knowledge, the efficacy of EMDR in CP has not yet been systematically explored. This study aims at addressing this unmet need in a prospective pilot study comparing EMDR versus treatment as usual (TAU).

Inclusion Criteria:

• Provided written informed consent
• Age 18 to 75 years
• Skindex-29 (questionnaire) symptoms subscale ≥42
• Confirmed diagnosis CP
• Itch intensity of min. ≥ 4 on the 0-10 numerical rating scale within the last 7 days
• Stable course of treatment in the two weeks prior to the study

Exclusion Criteria:

• Inability to follow the procedures of the study, e.g. due to language problems, severe psychiatric disorders such as delusional disorder, suicidality or dementia.
• Patients on phototherapy
• Acute attacks of an autoimmune disease such as Crohn's disease
• Serious cardiac disease