Phantom Pain Management and Creation of Sensory Phantom Map of Hand Using Virtual Reality Robotic System

Activity: Talk or presentation types › Oral presentation

Description

Phantom limb pain and phantom sensation is recognised phenomenon in amputees and can affect people with brachial plexus injury (BPI). Many of them experience phantom limb sensation, and referred sensation map of damaged [missing] extremity. This experimental trial proposes the use of Robotic assisted Virtual Reality (VR) system to explore possibility of treating complex pain and enhancing sensory phantom map with future intent to use it as interface for robotic prosthesis sensory feedback.. Three participants received Robotic assisted VR therapy for pain and creation of phantom sensory map. The VR exercises consisted of tabletop games. In VR stimulation they observed their [missing] fingers being stroked with brush virtually while simultaneously being stoked with a brush in chosen area of phantom map in upper arm. The sessions consisted of 9 two hours long VR exercises in 3-week period. One BPI patient was trans-radial amputee, two BPI patents had non-functioning lower trunk of brachial plexus. Two participants had spontaneous referred phantom map, one had no referred sensation. Pain was evaluated using McGill questionnaire, sensation was evaluated subjectively with patient blindfolded.. Participant 1 reported 50% improvement in pain score (31.5). Participants 2 and 3 reached 33-50% reduction in pain score (42 and 32). Participant 1 and 3 developed improved recognition of phantom thumb up to 88% and 90% respectively. In 3- and 6-week returned to baseline. Participant 2 did not develop reliable phantom finger map.. The use of Robotic assisted VR system shows positive results in pain management in individuals with BPI. There is evidence of augmenting existing phantom sensory maps in continuous stimulation. Phantom map recognition diminishes when not stimulated. No effect in creating sensory map if no pre-existing spontaneous phantom map present.
Period29 Mar 2023
Event titleRSU International Research Conference 2023: Knowledge for Use in Practice
Event typeConference
OrganiserRīga Stradiņš University
LocationRiga, LatviaShow on map
Degree of RecognitionInternational

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