Coping Skills Training for Adolescents With Fibromyalgia

Phase 3

Completed

Conditions: Fibromyalgia

Interventions: Behavioral: Coping Skills Training
Behavioral: Education

Registration Number: NCT00086047

Lead Sponsor: Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati

Brief Summary: Juvenile fibromyalgia is a chronic pain condition that can cause considerable suffering and difficulty in an adolescent's day-to-day activities. The purpose of this study is to determine whether coping skills training, when combined with usual medical care, can reduce pain and disability in adolescents with fibromyalgia.

Study hypotheses: 1) Adolescents who receive coping skills training combined with their usual medical care will show significantly greater reductions in functional disability, pain, and depressive symptoms at the end of the acute treatment phase than adolescents who receive fibromyalgia education with their usual medical care. 2) Adolescents who receive coping skills training with their usual medical care will show significantly lower levels of functional disability, pain, and depressive symptoms at the end of a six-month maintenance phase than adolescents who receive fibromyalgia education with their usual medical care.

Detailed Description: Juvenile Primary Fibromyalgia Syndrome (JPFS) is a debilitating chronic pain condition that occurs in adolescence and is characterized by persistent pain, multiple tender points, sleep difficulty, and fatigue. The cause of JPFS is unknown and there is no known cure. Children and adolescents with JPFS have difficulty with daily functioning, miss a great deal of school, and experience increased emotional distress compared to their peers. Fibromyalgia syndrome appears to be resistant to treatment in adulthood, so early behavioral treatment for JPFS with long-term beneficial effects would be useful. This study will evaluate the efficacy of coping skills training (CST) when combined with usual medical care in reducing functional disability, pain intensity, and depressive symptoms in adolescents with JPFS. This study will also determine whether improvements can be sustained long-term.

This study will last 34 weeks. Participants will be recruited from three pediatric rheumatology clinics. Patients will be randomly assigned to one of two groups: CST plus usual medical care or education plus usual medical care. There will be 6 medical visits, spaced 4 to 5 weeks apart. In addition, patients will attend 8 individual sessions of CST or education over the first 8 weeks of the study. CST sessions will include training in cognitive-behavioral techniques of pain management for the adolescent and behavioral management techniques for their parents. Education sessions will include education on fibromyalgia and discussion about lifestyle issues, but no training in pain management procedures.

Patients will be evaluated at Week 9 and will be followed for an additional 6-month maintenance phase. During this maintenance phase, adolescents will continue to receive their usual medical care and will attend 2 additional sessions of CST or education. There will be one final evaluation at the end of the maintenance phase.

Recruitment & Eligibility

Status: COMPLETED

Sex: All

Target Recruitment: 114

Inclusion Criteria

Diagnosis of JPFS based upon widespread pain for over 3 months, at least 5 tender points, and associated features such as sleep difficulty, fatigue, and abdominal discomfort
Average pain intensity greater than 4 on the Visual Analog Scale
Functional disability score greater than 7
Stable medications for 8 weeks prior to study entry

Exclusion Criteria

Other chronic rheumatic diseases, such as juvenile rheumatoid arthritis or lupus
Significant developmental delay or impairments, such as autism, cerebral palsy, or mental retardation
Present or lifetime psychiatric diagnosis that meets DSM-IV criteria for panic disorder, bipolar disorder, major depressive disorder, or psychosis
Opioid medications are disallowed when used on an ongoing basis for treatment of fibromyalgia pain

Study & Design

Study Type: INTERVENTIONAL

Study Design: PARALLEL

Arm && Interventions

Group	Intervention	Description
Coping Skills	Coping Skills Training	Patients will receive 8 weeks of behavioral training in pain coping strategies
Education	Education	Patient will receive 8 weekly sessions of education about fibromyalgia syndrome.

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Change in FDI (Functional Disability Inventory) Scores at End of Study	Baseline and 6 months (end of study)	Functional disability score is measured by the Functional Disability Inventory (FDI)which assesses ability to engage in usual physical, social and recreational activities. Scores range from 0=no disability to 60 = extreme disability and and are interpreted as No/Mild disability (0-12); Moderate Disability (13-29) and Severe Disability (30-60)

Secondary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Pain Intensity	9 weeks and 6 months
Depressive Symptoms	9 weeks and 6 months

Trial Locations

Locations (3): Kosair Charities Pediatric Center
🇺🇸
Louisville, Kentucky, United States
Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Division of Pediatrics
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Cleveland, Ohio, United States
Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center
🇺🇸
Cincinnati, Ohio, United States