CYBERMED LIFE - ORGANIC  & NATURAL LIVING

Biofeedback

Training with virtual visual feedback to alleviate phantom limb pain.

Written by CYBERMED LIFE NEWS
facebook Share on Facebook
Abstract Title:

Training with virtual visual feedback to alleviate phantom limb pain.

Abstract Source:

Neurorehabil Neural Repair. 2009 Jul-Aug;23(6):587-94. Epub 2009 Jan 26. PMID: 19171946

Abstract Author(s):

Catherine Mercier, Angela Sirigu

Article Affiliation:

Center for Cognitive Neuroscience, Bron, France. This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Abstract:

BACKGROUND: Performing phantom movements with visual virtual feedback, or mirror therapy, is a promising treatment avenue to alleviate phantom limb pain. However the effectiveness of this approach appears to vary from one patient to another.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the individual response to training with visual virtual feedback and to explore factors influencing the response to that approach.

METHODS: Eight male participants with phantom limb pain (PLP) resulting from either a traumatic upper limb amputation or a brachial plexus avulsion participated in this single case multiple baseline study. Training was performed 2 times per week for 8 weeks where a virtual image of a missing limb performing different movements was presented and the participant was asked to follow the movements with his phantom limb.

RESULTS: Patients reported an average 38% decrease in background pain on a visual analog scale (VAS), with 5 patients out of 8 reporting a reduction greater than 30%. This decrease in pain was maintained at 4 weeks postintervention in 4 of the 5 participants. No significant relationship was found between the long-term pain relief and the duration of the deafferentation or with the immediate pain relief during exposure to the feedback.

CONCLUSIONS: These results support the use of training with virtual feedback to alleviate phantom limb pain. Our observations suggest that between-participant differences in the effectiveness of the treatment might be related more to a difference in the susceptibility to the virtual visual feedback, than to factors related to the lesion, such as the duration of the deafferentation.


We use cookies on our website. Some of them are essential for the operation of the site, while others help us to improve this site and the user experience (tracking cookies). You can decide for yourself whether you want to allow cookies or not. Please note that if you reject them, you may not be able to use all the functionalities of the site.