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Key takeaways:
- This page preserves the original study announcement. Recruitment and expected-results statements below are historical.
- Results were published online on 28 June 2024 and in the February 2025 issue of the American Journal of Gastroenterology.
- The published trial compared a Nerva gut-directed hypnotherapy program with an active control without hypnotherapy.
- Use the published paper for the final methods, participant numbers and findings.
Update: results are now published
The trial described below has been completed. Anderson and colleagues published its results online on 28 June 2024 and in the February 2025 issue of the American Journal of Gastroenterology.
This page preserves the original announcement of the study plan. Its recruitment dates, planned assessments and expected-results timeline are historical. For the final methods, participant numbers and findings, read the published paper or our summary of the Nerva trial results and limitations.
References
Anderson EJ, Peters SL, Gibson PR, Halmos EP. Comparison of Digitally Delivered Gut-Directed Hypnotherapy Program With an Active Control for Irritable Bowel Syndrome: A Randomized Trial. American Journal of Gastroenterology. 2025;120(2):440–448. Published online 28 June 2024. PubMed.
Original study announcement
The original announcement described recruitment beginning on 13 June 2022, with follow-up planned for six months. The sections below describe the proposed study design; consult the published paper for the final methods and participant numbers.
The study’s aim
The current study’s aim is to compare the effects of gut-directed hypnotherapy (GDH) to psychoeducation (control) on gastrointestinal symptoms and psychological indices in patients with IBS.
It is hypothesized that participants randomized to the GDH treatment will see greater degrees of improvement in terms of overall and individual gastrointestinal symptoms and psychological indices compared to those who receive only psychoeducation (control).
Study protocol
The study will be a randomized controlled trial of six weeks duration. Eligible volunteers will be randomized to one of two treatment conditions.
The two treatment conditions are:
• gut-directed hypnotherapy with psychoeducation
• psychoeducation (control).
Gut-directed hypnotherapy
Participants in the gut-directed hypnotherapy treatment will be required to download an app specifically designed for this study onto their personal mobile devices. The mobile-delivered app will guide participants through daily gut-directed hypnotherapy recordings and psychoeducation over a six-week period. It is anticipated that it will take 15-20 minutes to complete the recording and psychoeducation each day.
Psychoeducation (control)
Participants in the psychoeducation treatment will be required to download an app specifically designed for this study onto their personal mobile devices. The mobile-delivered app will guide participants through daily psychoeducation readings over a six-week period. It is anticipated that completing these readings will take 10-15 minutes each day.
Endpoints
Primary endpoint
The change in overall and individual gastrointestinal symptom scores measured on the VAS on completion of each of the treatment conditions.
Secondary endpoints
Assessment of psychological status in patients on completion of each of the treatment conditions.
The long-term effectiveness of the treatment conditions.
Conclusion
The planned randomized trial was intended to test the app-based program against an active control. Its results are now available in the published paper linked above.
The published article reports the investigators, methods, funding and disclosures. Those details should guide interpretation of the study.
The original expected-results timeline no longer applies.
For current research collaboration enquiries, use the contact information on the Nerva website.
Refer your patients to Nerva using our HIPAA-compliant form.
