Graded Motor Imagery Effects on Body Perception Disturbance in Complex Regional Pain Syndrome : a Randomised Controlled Trial
Not yet recruitingNot applicableNCT07818174
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This study has no listed site in Canada in this snapshot. It is included as part of the worldwide chronic pain corpus.
Brief summary (from the registry)
Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS) is a debilitating pain condition that usually develops following trauma. Patients with CRPS experience intense, continuing, disproportionate pain and multiple symptoms such as changes or asymmetry in colour, temperature or oedema, as well as stiffness, tremors or dystonia and body perception disturbances. Body perception disturbances are now recognised as part of the typical presentation of CRPS and have been shown to correlate, in particular, with pain intensity. Managing CRPS is challenging and treatment options are limited. Among these, treatments aimed at cortical reorganisation, such as Graded Motor Imagery (GMI), have shown evidence of efficacy in terms of pain and function. However, with regard to body perception disorders, the evidence is limited and emerging. Our aim is to evaluate the effects of Graded Motor Imagery on body perception disorders in patients with upper limb CRPS. Method: a randomised controlled trial comparing an intervention group - therapeutic exercises plus GMI for 6 weeks (implicit motor imagery, explicit motor imagery followed by mirror therapy) - with a control group - therapeutic exercises plus sham-GMI (non-motor mental imagery) for 6 weeks. Outcome measures: body perception disorders (Bath Scale), pain intensity (Numerical Rating Scale), quality of life (PROMIS 29), catastrophising (PCS), fear of pain, CRPS Severity Score, patient-reported global impression of change, medication use and self-efficacy. Interventions are carried out in private practice by independent physiotherapists. Assessors are blinded for the primary outcome. A qualitative component will explore the experiences and perceptions of patients and therapists regarding body perception disturbances, GMI and participation in a research project. This study aims are to improve treatment options for the management of SDRC and to improve the recognition and treatment of body perception disorders in SDRC.
Study details
- Official title
- Graded Motor Imagery Effects on Body Perception Disturbance in Complex Regional Pain Syndrome : a Randomised Controlled Trial
- Conditions
- Interventions
- Other: Graded Motor Imagery + Therapeutic exercises
- Other: Sham-GMI (non-motor mental imagery) + Therapeutic exercises
- Sponsor
- Nantes University Hospital
- Start date
- 2026-10-01
- Primary completion
- 2028-05-15
- Sex
- All
- Age range
- from 18 Years
- Results posted
- No results posted in this snapshot
- Countries
- France
- Total sites listed
- 20
Eligibility criteria
Show eligibility criteria (verbatim from the registry)
Inclusion Criteria: * Over 18 years * Upper limb unilateral CRPS (Budapest criteria) * No prior use of GMI Exclusion Criteria: * Psychiatric disorders * Not confident with written/spoken French * Not confident with smartphone use
Source: ClinicalTrials.gov (US National Library of Medicine), snapshot October 2026. Check the registry for current recruiting status. Record: https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT07818174