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Pain and other symptoms of CRPS can be increased by ambiguous visual stimuli - An exploratory study

Hall, Jane; Harrison, Simon; Cohen, Helen; McCabe, Candy; Harris, N.; Blake, David R.

Pain and other symptoms of CRPS can be increased by ambiguous visual stimuli - An exploratory study Thumbnail


Authors

Jane Hall

Simon Harrison

Helen Cohen

Candy McCabe Candy.Mccabe@uwe.ac.uk
Professor of Clinical Research and Practice

N. Harris

David R. Blake



Abstract

Background: Visual disturbance, visuo-spatial difficulties, and exacerbations of pain associated with these, have been reported by some patients with Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS). Aims: We investigated the hypothesis that some visual stimuli (i.e. those which produce ambiguous perceptions) can induce pain and other somatic sensations in people with CRPS. Methods: Thirty patients with CRPS, 33 with rheumatology conditions and 45 healthy controls viewed two images: a bistable spatial image and a control image. For each image participants recorded the frequency of percept change in 1 min and reported any changes in somatosensation. Results: 73% of patients with CRPS reported increases in pain and/or sensory disturbances including changes in perception of the affected limb, temperature and weight changes and feelings of disorientation after viewing the bistable image. Additionally, 13% of the CRPS group responded with striking worsening of their symptoms which necessitated task cessation. Subjects in the control groups did not report pain increases or somatic sensations. Conclusions: It is possible to worsen the pain suffered in CRPS, and to produce other somatic sensations, by means of a visual stimulus alone. This is a newly described finding. As a clinical and research tool, the experimental method provides a means to generate and exacerbate somaesthetic disturbances, including pain, without moving the affected limb and causing nociceptive interference. This may be particularly useful for brain imaging studies. © 2010 Published by Elsevier Ltd. on behalf of European Federation of International Association for the Study of Pain Chapters.

Citation

Hall, J., Harrison, S., Cohen, H., McCabe, C., Harris, N., & Blake, D. R. (2011). Pain and other symptoms of CRPS can be increased by ambiguous visual stimuli - An exploratory study. European Journal of Pain, 15(1), 17-22. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejpain.2010.04.009

Journal Article Type Article
Publication Date Jan 1, 2011
Deposit Date Aug 9, 2010
Publicly Available Date Feb 10, 2016
Journal European Journal of Pain
Print ISSN 1090-3801
Electronic ISSN 1532-2149
Publisher Wiley
Peer Reviewed Peer Reviewed
Volume 15
Issue 1
Pages 17-22
DOI https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejpain.2010.04.009
Keywords Complex Regional Pain Syndrome, somatosensory system, visual illusion, visual stimulus
Public URL https://uwe-repository.worktribe.com/output/985278
Publisher URL http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ejpain.2010.04.009

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