Benefit of Augmented Reality Mirror Therapy in Addition to Conventional Management in Complex Regional Pain Syndrome of the Upper Extremity

Summary

Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS) is a "polymorphic joint and periarticular pain syndrome associated with various changes in sensitivity, vasomotor, sudomotor, muscular and trophic changes". The diagnostic criteria of the disease follow the Budapest criteria, namely (i) vasomotor disorders (temperature asymmetry, color changes), (ii) sudomotor/oedema (sweating changes, edema), (iii) sensory (hyperesthesia, allodynia, hyperalgesia) and (iv) motor/trophic (reduced joint mobility, weakness, tremor, dystonia, trophic disorders of skin, nails, hair).

Of the many treatments, augmented reality mirror therapy (ARMT), is novel in substituting a virtual environment for part of the real environment. This type of device has never been studied from a clinical point of view in the treatment of upper limb CRPS, whereas fMRI and clinical dissertation studies have suggested an improvement in neuroplasticity.

The aim of this study is to establish the clinical effects of ARMT on CRPS, and to evaluate its benefit within a conventional rehabilitation treatment (physiotherapy and occupational therapy).

Conditions

• Complex Regional Pain Syndromes

Interventions

OTHER

Conventional therapy

The CT consists of 1 session of 30 minutes of physical therapy (type of re-education established according to the pain at rest and during movement assessed every day) and 1 session of 30 minutes of occupational therapy (type of re-education established according to the pain at rest and during movement assessed every day). CT is performed 5 days a week.

OTHER

ARMT

The ARMT consists of 1 session of 30 minutes (type of rehabilitation established according to the pain at rest and during movement evaluated daily). ARMT is performed 5 days a week for 1 month.

OTHER

cortical reactivity

An electroencephalogram was taken at the start and end of the study to study cortical reactivity during the performance of 3 different tasks repeated 30 times: a resting task (consisting of looking at a cross on a screen), a motor imagery task (consisting of imagining performing wrist flexions/extensions) and a motor execution task (consisting of performing wrist flexions/extensions).

OTHER

Fluidity of movement

Motion capture at the start and end of the study to study the fluidity of movement during 3 different tasks repeated 30 times: a resting task (looking at a cross on a screen), a motor imagery task (imagining wrist flexions/extensions) and a motor execution task (performing wrist flexions/extensions).

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Nīmes

  lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

• Arnaud DUPEYRON · CHU de Nimes

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

OTHER

Masking

SINGLE

Model

PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age

18 Years

Max Age

70 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2023-09-18

Primary Completion

2024-12-02

Completion

2025-03-28

Countries

• France

Study Locations