Behavioral treatment of Raynaud's disease

32 20-65 yr olds with idiopathic Raynaud's disease were randomly assigned to receive finger temperature feedback, finger temperature feedback under cold stress, frontalis EMG feedback, or autogenic training. Ss receiving finger temperature feedback demonstrated significant temperature increases, without relaxation, during training and after the removal of feedback. A significant but smaller response was retained 1 yr later, accompanied by a 66.8% reduction in reported attacks. The addition of training under cold stress to temperature feedback significantly improved retention of voluntary vasodilation at follow-up and produced a 92.5% reduction in symptom frequency. These procedures did not change overall levels of tonic peripheral blood flow, recorded over 24 hrs in the natural environment. Following treatment, significantly colder temperatures were needed to produce attacks in these Ss compared to those who had received EMG feedback or autogenic training. These latter techniques produced the expected signs of decreased arousal but were significantly less effective than temperature feedback in increasing finger temperature or decreasing symptom frequency. Cognitive stress management did not significantly affect any procedure. (29 ref)