Hypnotizability and immunological response to psychological intervention in HIV

Abstract

Objective: This pilot study related hypnotizability to changes in HIV immune blood markers after two psychological interventions. Design:The mean of two blood assays prior to intervention was compared to the results of the blood assay after the intervention.Intervention: A course of four weekly 2-hour training sessions coupled with daily selfhypnosis practice was given to 13 participants with diagnosed HIV and for a further 9 participants a similar course was given in a Japanese healing method called Johrei (a total of 22 participants). All were naïve to anti-retroviral medication. Main outcome measures: CD4+ T cell counts, viral load of the HIV virus in blood.Results: When highly hypnotizable subjects were compared to those of lower hypnotizability in a repeated measures analysis, their CD4+ t-lymphocyte counts were significantly higher ( p = 0.007). This was achieved by the highly hynotizable subjects non-significantly raising their CD4+ counts while the CD4+ counts of the less hynotizable subjects declined significantly (mean change = -79.4 p = 0.006). The differences in CD4+ T cell % of lymphocytes and the viral loads did not differ. Conclusions:This pilot study indicates that hypnotizability may predict immunological response to psychological interventions in HIV.

Promoting Health and Well-being in Lives of People Living with HIV and AIDS

“…Without these, the authors suggest, a cascade of events occur which decreases the immunological, endocrine and neuropeptide functioning of the individual. Laidlaw et al (2004) did a study of relationship of hypnotisability to changes in HIV immune blood markers as a response to psychological interventions. The authors administered a four weekly course, two hour training sessions each week coupled with self-hypnosis practice, to HIV positive people who were naïve to anti-retroviral (ARV) medication.…”