This Article Full Text (OnlineFirst PDF) All Versions of this Article: 1545968308328717v1 23/6/587    most recent Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to Saved Citations Download to citation manager Request Permissions Request Reprints Add to My Marked Citations Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Citing Articles via Scopus Google Scholar Articles by Mercier, C. Articles by Sirigu, A. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Mercier, C. Articles by Sirigu, A. Social Bookmarking                         What's this?

Training With Virtual Visual Feedback to Alleviate Phantom Limb Pain

^* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: catherine.mercier{at}rea.ulaval.ca.

	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.

First published on January 26, 2009, doi:10.1177/1545968308328717

Neurorehabilitation and Neural Repair 2009;23:587.

A more recent version of this article appeared on July 1, 2009


CiteULike    Complore    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    Twitter    What's this?