[The rubber hand illusion in patients with complex regional pain syndrome. Successful illusion induction shows multisensory integration]

Schmerz. 2013 Sep;27(5):513-6. doi: 10.1007/s00482-013-1358-2.
[Article in German]

Abstract

Next to neurogenic inflammation and pathological sympathetic-afferent coupling, functional imaging studies have shown the crucial role of maladaptive cortical reorgansation in the pathophysiology of CRPS. Bilateral neuroplastic alterations in the somatosensory cortex seem to play a substantial role in the dysfunctional sensory processing of stimuli. The aim was to investigate the multimodal integration of sensory and visual stimuli into the body scheme and the influence of higher cognitive body representation in the integration of multimodal schema, body relevant stimuli in patients with CRPS. The investigated sample included 24 patients suffering from CRPS of the upper extremities, 21 patients with chronic hand pain of other origins and 24 healthy probands. The rubber hand illusion was carried out for the first time in patients with complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS). The reprentations show that the patients can integrate a rubber hand in their body representation to the same degree as healthy patients. The intact experience of the rubber hand illusion by CRPS patients indicates that the integration of congruent visual and tactile stimuli in CRPS is intact.

Publication types

  • English Abstract

MeSH terms

  • Body Image*
  • Complex Regional Pain Syndromes / diagnosis
  • Complex Regional Pain Syndromes / physiopathology*
  • Complex Regional Pain Syndromes / psychology
  • Functional Laterality / physiology
  • Galvanic Skin Response / physiology
  • Hand / innervation*
  • Humans
  • Neurologic Examination
  • Optical Illusions / physiology*
  • Pain Measurement
  • Pain Perception / physiology*
  • Perceptual Disorders / diagnosis
  • Perceptual Disorders / physiopathology*
  • Perceptual Disorders / psychology
  • Proprioception / physiology*
  • Somatosensory Cortex / physiopathology
  • Statistics as Topic
  • Touch Perception / physiology*
  • Visual Perception / physiology*