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  4. Scrambler Therapy for Chronic Pain after Burns and Its Effect on the Cerebral Pain Network: A Prospective, Double-Blinded, Randomized Controlled Trial
 
research article

Scrambler Therapy for Chronic Pain after Burns and Its Effect on the Cerebral Pain Network: A Prospective, Double-Blinded, Randomized Controlled Trial

Lee, Seung Yeol
•
Park, Chang-Hyun  
•
Cho, Yoon Soo
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August 1, 2022
Journal Of Clinical Medicine

Chronic pain is common after burn injuries, and post-burn neuropathic pain is the most important complication that is difficult to treat. Scrambler therapy (ST) is a non-invasive modality that uses patient-specific electrocutaneous nerve stimulation and is an effective treatment for many chronic pain disorders. This study used magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to evaluate the pain network-related mechanisms that underlie the clinical effect of ST in patients with chronic burn-related pain. This prospective, double-blinded, randomized controlled trial (ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT03865693) enrolled 43 patients who were experiencing chronic neuropathic pain after unilateral burn injuries. The patients had moderate or greater chronic pain (a visual analogue scale (VAS) score of >= 5), despite treatment using gabapentin and other physical modalities, and were randomized 1:1 to receive real or sham ST sessions. The ST was performed using the MC5-A Calmare device for ten 45 min sessions (Monday to Friday for 2 weeks). Baseline and post-treatment parameters were evaluated subjectively using the VAS score for pain and the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale; MRI was performed to identify objective central nervous system changes by measuring the cerebral blood volume (CBV). After 10 ST sessions (two weeks), the treatment group exhibited a significant reduction in pain relative to the sham group. Furthermore, relative to the pre-ST findings, the post-ST MRI evaluations revealed significantly decreased CBV in the orbito-frontal gyrus, middle frontal gyrus, superior frontal gyrus, and gyrus rectus. In addition, the CBV was increased in the precentral gyrus and postcentral gyrus of the hemisphere associated with the burned limb in the ST group, as compared with the CBV of the sham group. Thus, a clinical effect from ST on burn pain was observed after 2 weeks, and a potential mechanism for the treatment effect was identified. These findings suggest that ST may be an alternative strategy for managing chronic pain in burn patients.

  • Details
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Type
research article
DOI
10.3390/jcm11154255
Web of Science ID

WOS:000838909100001

Author(s)
Lee, Seung Yeol
Park, Chang-Hyun  
Cho, Yoon Soo
Kim, Laurie
Yoo, Ji Won
Joo, So Young
Seo, Cheong Hoon
Date Issued

2022-08-01

Publisher

MDPI

Published in
Journal Of Clinical Medicine
Volume

11

Issue

15

Article Number

4255

Subjects

Medicine, General & Internal

•

General & Internal Medicine

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cerebral pain network

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scrambler therapy

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burn

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chronic pain

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chronic neuropathic pain

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visual analog scale

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persistent pain

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blood-volume

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pilot

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stimulation

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plasticity

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management

Editorial or Peer reviewed

REVIEWED

Written at

EPFL

EPFL units
UPHUMMEL  
Available on Infoscience
August 29, 2022
Use this identifier to reference this record
https://infoscience.epfl.ch/handle/20.500.14299/190383
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