TY - JOUR
T1 - A therapeutic matrix
T2 - Virtual reality as a clinical tool for spinal cord injury-induced neuropathic pain
AU - Leemhuis, Erik
AU - Giuffrida, Valentina
AU - Giannini, Anna Maria
AU - Pazzaglia, Mariella
N1 - Funding Information:
This research was funded by the Italian Ministry of Health, grant number RF-2018-12365682.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2021 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.
PY - 2021/9
Y1 - 2021/9
N2 - Neuropathic pain (NP) is a chronic, debilitating, and resistant form of pain. The onset rate of NP following spinal cord injuries (SCI) is high and may reduce the quality of life more than the sensorimotor loss itself. The long-term ineffectiveness of current treatments in managing symptoms and counteracting maladaptive plasticity highlights the need to find alternative therapeutic approaches. Virtual reality (VR) is possibly the best way to administer the specific illusory or reality-like experience and promote behavioral responses that may be effective in mitigating the effects of long-established NP. This approach aims to promote a more systematic adoption of VR-related techniques in pain research and management procedures, highlighting the encouraging preliminary results in SCI. We suggest that the multisensory modulation of the sense of agency and ownership by residual body signals may produce positive responses in cases of brain-body disconnection. First, we focus on the transversal role embodiment and how multisensory and environmental or artificial stimuli modulate illusory sensations of bodily presence and ownership. Then, we present a brief overview of the use of VR in healthcare and pain management. Finally, we discus research experiences which used VR in patients with SCI to treating NP, including the most recent combinations of VR with further stimulation techniques.
AB - Neuropathic pain (NP) is a chronic, debilitating, and resistant form of pain. The onset rate of NP following spinal cord injuries (SCI) is high and may reduce the quality of life more than the sensorimotor loss itself. The long-term ineffectiveness of current treatments in managing symptoms and counteracting maladaptive plasticity highlights the need to find alternative therapeutic approaches. Virtual reality (VR) is possibly the best way to administer the specific illusory or reality-like experience and promote behavioral responses that may be effective in mitigating the effects of long-established NP. This approach aims to promote a more systematic adoption of VR-related techniques in pain research and management procedures, highlighting the encouraging preliminary results in SCI. We suggest that the multisensory modulation of the sense of agency and ownership by residual body signals may produce positive responses in cases of brain-body disconnection. First, we focus on the transversal role embodiment and how multisensory and environmental or artificial stimuli modulate illusory sensations of bodily presence and ownership. Then, we present a brief overview of the use of VR in healthcare and pain management. Finally, we discus research experiences which used VR in patients with SCI to treating NP, including the most recent combinations of VR with further stimulation techniques.
KW - Body representation
KW - Deafferentation
KW - Disembodied
KW - Neuro-plasticity
KW - Neuropathic pain
KW - Rehabilitation
KW - Spinal cord injury
KW - Virtual reality
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85115055805&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=85115055805&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.3390/brainsci11091201
DO - 10.3390/brainsci11091201
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85115055805
VL - 11
JO - Brain Sciences
JF - Brain Sciences
SN - 2076-3425
IS - 9
M1 - 1201
ER -