ArticleBMC pediatrics2026
Effect of EMDR for reduction of pain interference in children with sickle cell disease, the RELAX study: a randomized controlled trial protocol.
Article in BMC pediatrics, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT07001631 (Effect of EMDR for Reduction of Pain Interference in Children With Sickle Cell Disease), which is not on this map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Effect of EMDR for Reduction of Pain Interference in Children With Sickle Cell Disease
Who cites it
0 citing papers in PubMed.
No citing paper in PubMed yet.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
6 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundChildren with sickle cell disease (SCD) suffer from vaso-occlusive crises, extremely painful episodes that may require hospitalization. Traumatic experiences during hospitalization and frequent pain experiences may lead to psychological distress and the development of (subclinical) posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Children with SCD also experience elevated pain interference (the negative impact of pain on daily life), which research suggests may be more strongly associated with psychological than biological factors. Due to the association between psychological distress and pain, Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), originally developed for treating PTSD, has recently been investigated for its potential to reduce pain. However, its effectiveness has not been studied for children and for SCD populations with the aim of reduction in pain interference.
methodsIn this single-center randomized controlled trial children and adolescents (aged 6-18 years) with SCD and clinical relevant scores on pain interference will be randomized to either EMDR therapy (n = 20) or waiting list control group (n = 20). Waiting list participants were reallocated to EMDR after 9 weeks. Follow-up was conducted 3-months post-treatment. Primary outcome is pain interference. Secondary outcomes include PTSD symptoms, anxiety and depressive symptoms, physical mobility, number of painful days, pain intensity, pain medication use and school absence, with additional outcomes assessing themes of pain and trauma-related memories and EMDR feasibility. DISCUSSION: This paper outlines the study protocol of a randomized controlled trial aiming to investigate the efficacy of EMDR therapy in reducing pain interference in the lives of children with SCD. If proven effective, this will be a promising intervention to reduce pain interference and chronic pain experienced by this group, with the advantage of being a non-pharmacological and non-invasive intervention. This method may also hold potential for children living with chronic pain of other causes.
trial registrationclinicaltrials.gov, NCT07001631, retrospectively registered on May 23rd 2025, clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT07001631.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What Socratic holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.