Coggins Jessica, Grieve Sharon, Buckle Lisa, Hart Darren, Llewellyn Alison, Palmer Mark, Wittens Moniek, McCabe Candida
School of Health and Social Wellbeing, University of the West of England, Bristol, UK.
Research and Development Department, Royal United Hospitals Bath NHS Foundation Trust, Bath, UK.
Br J Pain. 2025 Aug 29:20494637251371592. doi: 10.1177/20494637251371592.
Sensory discrimination training has demonstrated improvements in two-point discrimination and pain reduction in people with chronic pain. We tested the feasibility and acceptability of a novel Sensory Training System (STS) device in the homes of people with Type 1 Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS).
Participants meeting CRPS diagnostic criteria were invited to use the STS for a minimum of 30 minutes per day for 30 days. Device usage data were captured by the STS. Assessments at baseline and after 30 days were: two-point discrimination ability, pain intensity and interference, sensitivity and emotions towards CRPS limb. Qualitative interviews were conducted at the end of the study to capture participants' feedback on the device.
A total of 10 participants (female n = 7) completed the study. Participants' mean age was 56.4 years (range: 24-78 years), and mean disease duration was 9.37 years (range: 4.25-26.5). Eight had lower limb CRPS. The mean STS device use was 27.3 ± 3.4 days and mean daily usage of training games was 00:27:11 ± 00:07:52 (hh:mm:ss). No patterns or trends were evident between device usage and outcome data.
This feasibility study of a home-based STS for people with CRPS revealed key areas for improvement in the device's hardware and software and outlined the challenges of development and testing during the COVID-19 pandemic, while also capturing valuable usability insights from participant feedback. Key recommendations include early and ongoing collaboration with users, securing sufficient funding, ensuring correct device setup by participants, conducting interim analysis, and using online tools to enhance participant experience and data collection.
The study was registered with ISRCTN registry on 28 May 2021 (https://doi.org/10.1186/ISRCTN89099843).
感觉辨别训练已证明可改善慢性疼痛患者的两点辨别能力并减轻疼痛。我们测试了一种新型感觉训练系统（STS）设备在1型复杂性区域疼痛综合征（CRPS）患者家中使用的可行性和可接受性。
邀请符合CRPS诊断标准的参与者每天至少使用STS 30分钟，持续30天。设备使用数据由STS记录。在基线和30天后进行的评估包括：两点辨别能力、疼痛强度和干扰、对CRPS肢体的敏感性和情绪。在研究结束时进行定性访谈，以获取参与者对该设备的反馈。
共有10名参与者（7名女性）完成了研究。参与者的平均年龄为56.4岁（范围：24 - 78岁），平均病程为9.37年（范围：4.25 - 26.5年）。8人患有下肢CRPS。STS设备的平均使用天数为27.3 ± 3.4天，训练游戏的平均每日使用时长为00:27:11 ± 00:07:52（小时:分钟:秒）。在设备使用情况和结果数据之间未发现明显的模式或趋势。
这项针对CRPS患者的家庭式STS可行性研究揭示了该设备硬件和软件需要改进的关键领域，概述了在COVID - 19大流行期间开发和测试所面临的挑战，同时也从参与者反馈中获得了宝贵的可用性见解。主要建议包括与用户尽早并持续合作、确保充足的资金、确保参与者正确设置设备、进行中期分析以及使用在线工具来提升参与者体验和数据收集。
该研究于2021年5月28日在ISRCTN注册库注册（https://doi.org/10.1186/ISRCTN89099843）。
