Tests hypnosis for breathlessness in people with lasting shortness of breath
Tests hypnosis sessions in adults with long-lasting breathlessness from lung, heart or cancer illness.
Key facts
- Who runs it
- University Hospital, Geneva
- Where
- Geneva, SwitzerlandSee the site
- Trial code
- Registry title
- Hypnosis on Breathlessness Mastery in Patients With Persistent Dyspnea
- Status
- Recruiting
- People taking part
- 82 people, planned
- Started
- 1 Apr 2026
- Expected to end
- 1 Apr 2028
- Type of study
- Interventional, 2 groupsOne group gets no study treatment, for comparison.
- Treatments tested
- Hypnosis
- Record updated
- 8 June 2026
Who can take part
AI summary
From the trial's eligibility criteria. Machine-read from the registry text on this page, so it can be wrong. The registry text below and the trial team decide who can take part.
The trial is looking for adults with long-lasting breathlessness caused by metastatic cancer, COPD, interstitial lung disease or chronic heart failure. It tests three hypnosis sessions.
- Age
- 18 years or older
- Sex
- All sexes can join
- Disease stage
- Main diagnosis of metastatic cancer, COPD stage at least B or E, ILD, or CHF. Breathlessness of NYHA stage II or higher, or mMRC 2 or higher.
- Earlier treatment
- Cannot have had hypnosis in the last 12 months or pulmonary rehabilitation in the last 6 months.
Main reasons for not taking part
- Life expectancy under 6 months
- Hospitalised in the last 30 days
- Unable to come to the hospital for 3 outpatient visits, one every two weeks
- Condition that limits answering questionnaires, such as cognitive or hearing impairment
- Psychiatric disorder that rules out hypnosis
The registry criteria, word for word
Show all 10 criteriaShow less
Who can take part
- Patients aged ≥ 18 years and
- Primary diagnosis of metastatic cancer, COPD stage at least B or E, ILD, or CHF and
- Dyspnea stage NYHA ≥ II or mMRC ≥ 2
Who cannot take part
- Have a condition that would interfere with their ability to respond to the questionnaires (i.e. cognitive impairment, hearing impairment, etc.)
- Are not eligible for a hypnosis session due to a psychiatric disorder
- Have had hypnosis treatment in the last 12 months
- Have an estimated life expectancy of less than 6 months
- Have participated in pulmonary rehabilitation in the last 6 months
- Have been hospitalised in the last month (30 days)
- Are unable to come to the hospital for 3 outpatient consultations (1 every two weeks)
Where in Switzerland
- Geneva University HospitalsGeneva, SwitzerlandContact: Lisa Hentsch, DrTaking people
About the trial
What the trial wants to find out
Persistent dyspnea is a debilitating symptom, that is common and difficult to treat. This symptom is found in many different diseases including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), interstitial lung disease (ILD), chronic heart failure (CHF), and metastatic cancer. Dyspnea is associated with many other symptoms, including anxiety, depression, and fatigue and is responsible for a significant reduction in quality of life. To date, only opiates are recommended for the pharmacological treatment of persistent dyspnea.
Read full original descriptionShow less
The effectiveness of hypnosis is well known in the treatment of anxiety and delivered to patients suffering from chronic dyspnea for this reason. One randomised controlled study has shown that a single 20-minute mindfulness sessions could significantly reduce general symptom burden and have a significant impact on anxiety and depression in palliative care patients. Furthermore, the intervention had no negative side effects.
Our aim is to evaluate the effectiveness of three hypnosis sessions on breathlessness mastery in patients with persistent dyspnea, using as a primary outcome the mastery domain of a validated tool, the Chronic Respiratory Questionnaire (CRQ).
The 2 groups in the trial
- HypnosisTreatment being tested
3 hypnosis sessions separated by 15 days
- Usual CareNo study treatment, for comparison
Questions to ask the study team
- How often do I need to come in, and for how long each time?
- Are travel costs paid?
- Can I keep my own doctor?
- What happens if I want to stop?
Contact the study team: see the registry record → Contacts and Locations
Print a page for my doctorData and sources
- Registry record
- Listed on ClinicalTrials.gov.
- Official title
- Effectiveness of Hypnosis on Breathlessness Mastery in Patients With Persistent Dyspnea: a Randomised Controlled Trial
- Plain-language title
- Tests hypnosis for breathlessness in people with lasting shortness of breathGenerated from the registry record. The registry title is the official one.
- AI summary
- From the trial's eligibility criteria. Read by machine on 12 November 2026.
- Record updated
- 8 June 2026