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Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for Chronic Post-Surgical Pain

N/A

Recruiting

Led By Christine B. Sieberg

Research Sponsored by Massachusetts General Hospital

Eligibility Criteria Checklist

Specific guidelines that determine who can or cannot participate in a clinical trial

Must have

Must not have

Inability to speak sufficient English or another language that can be interpreted orally and for questionnaires with the research team

Timeline

Screening 3 weeks

Treatment Varies

Follow Up 5 years

Awards & highlights

No Placebo-Only Group

Summary

This trial will help researchers understand more about chronic post-surgical pain, provide a way to measure it, and understand how age affects it.

Who is the study for?

This trial is for males and females aged 12 or older who have had surgery at least 6 months ago and are experiencing chronic pain that has lasted for more than 3 months post-surgery. Participants must be able to communicate in English or a language the research team can interpret. Those with severe cognitive impairments, significant psychiatric disorders, or illegal hard drug use are excluded.

What is being tested?

The study aims to understand the psychophysical and neural mechanisms of chronic post-surgical pain (CPSP) across different ages. It will evaluate how Acceptance and Commitment Therapy may influence CPSP by examining neurobiological factors, providing metrics for patient follow-up, predicting chronification risks, and exploring age-related differences.

What are the potential side effects?

Since this trial involves Acceptance and Commitment Therapy—a psychological intervention rather than medication—traditional side effects like those seen with drugs are not expected. However, participants might experience emotional discomfort when discussing painful experiences.

Eligibility Criteria

Exclusion Criteria

You may be eligible for the trial if you check “No” for criteria below:

Select...

I cannot communicate effectively in English or any language the research team understands.

Timeline

Screening ~ 3 weeks3 visits

Treatment ~ Varies

Follow Up ~ 5 years

Screening ~ 3 weeks

Treatment ~ Varies

Follow Up ~5 years

This trial's timeline: 3 weeks for screening, Varies for treatment, and 5 years for reporting.

Treatment Details

Study Objectives

Study objectives can provide a clearer picture of what you can expect from a treatment.

Primary study objectives

Pain acceptance using the Chronic Pain Acceptance Questionnaire - Revised (CPAQ-R)

Secondary study objectives

Functional brain metrics using fNIRS

Awards & Highlights

No Placebo-Only Group

All patients enrolled in this study will receive some form of active treatment.

Trial Design

2Treatment groups

Active Control

Group I: ACT Group InterventionActive Control1 Intervention

We will evaluate the effects of an Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) one-day group intervention (with 1-month post group zoom booster session) on the functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) signal in groups of adolescents and adult patients diagnosed with CPSP at \>3 months post major orthopedic surgery.

Group II: Treatment as UsualActive Control1 Intervention

Treatment as Usual (TAU) for those with CPSP

0 / 1Eligibility criteria met