Themelis, Kristy and Newport, Roger (2019) An investigation of contextual factors in the application of multisensory illusions for analgesia in hand osteoarthritis. Rheumatology Advances In Practice, 234 (2). pp. 1289-1294. ISSN 2514-1775

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Abstract

Objective: Emerging evidence suggests that multisensory illusions can modulate pain and can lead to changes in body perception. The aim of this study was to investigate whether contextual factors could explain the analgesic effects of multisensory body illusions on pain and body perception in people with hand osteoarthritis (HOA).

Methods:
In a cross-over study, 28 individuals with painful HOA viewed their most affected hand in and outside of a MIRAGE-mediated reality system, with illusory stretching of the hand and changes in sensory input. The outcome measures were: pain ratings, pressure pain thresholds (PPT), hand function, and the subjective experience of the illusion.

Results: Stretching the hand both inside and outside the virtual environment led to a reduction in subjective pain ratings (all P <.05). Virtual stretching led to changes in body perception (P <.05) with no changes in PPT (all P >.05). Higher pain at baseline predicted susceptibility to the stretch-illusion and mean susceptibility ratings were greatest after the stretch-illusion.

Conclusion: The current study highlights the importance of the context in which pain occurs and in which potential treatments may be applied. In this case, virtual and physical stretching modulating pain, but not viewing the hand alone. The research opens important implications for future research including the use of contextual control conditions and the development of visual feedback interventions for a range of similarly visible chronic conditions for which pain, body image disturbances and body dissatisfaction may be apparent.

Keywords:
Analgesia, body ownership, chronic pain, MIRAGE, multisensory illusions, osteoarthritis, contextual control, body representation disturbance.

Item Type:	Article
Keywords:	Analgesia, body ownership, chronic pain, MIRAGE, multisensory illusions, osteoarthritis, contextual control, body representation disturbance.
Schools and Departments:	Brighton and Sussex Medical School > Brighton and Sussex Medical School
Subjects:	Q Science > QZ Psychology R Medicine > RC Internal medicine > RC0321 Neurosciences. Biological psychiatry. Neuropsychiatry
Related URLs:	https://academic.oup.com/rheumap
Depositing User:	Kristy Themelis
Date Deposited:	20 Jul 2018 12:34
Last Modified:	06 Dec 2018 15:54
URI:	http://srodev.sussex.ac.uk/id/eprint/77291

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