CoRe Study v1.0
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Cortical Reorganisation in Complex Regional Pain Syndrome: A study of potential biomarkers
IRAS ID
184572
Contact name
Michael Lee
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
Duration of Study in the UK
2 years, 0 months, 1 days
Research summary
Complex Regional Pain syndrome (CRPS) is a debilitating pain condition that usually arises after trauma to a limb. CRPS, previously known as Reflex Sympathetic dystrophy (RSD) is almost as common as rheumatoid arthritis and 6 times as common as multiple sclerosis. Up to 30% of patients who worked before CRPS onset remain unable to work causing significant individual & societal costs.
The ability to recognise and treat CRPS when it is at an early, acute stage is important for good outcomes. Some observations from previous studies will allow us to develop new methods for assessing CRPS. For example, studies have found subtle changes in the structure and function of brain in CRPS. Many CRPS patients also have difficulties in accurately perceiving sensations from the body, but it is unknown whether this is related to brain changes.
Our study will examine the brain changes in CRPS patients using Electroencephalogram (EEG) and will investigate whether these changes correlate with inability to perceive body sensations accurately. EEG is a non-invasive test with no health risks and has been used for many decades in both clinical and research areas. We think that EEG tests to measure brain changes in CRPS can be simplified and used as a diagnostic marker.
There will be the following participants in each group:
1. 50 CRPS patients
2. 25 healthy volunteers
3. 25 patients with unilateral bone fracture to either the arm or leg, but no symptoms of CRPS.All participants will visit Addenbrooke’s hospital only once for the study. During this visit, they will fill out questionnaires to assess their level of pain, function and mood. They will have clinical tests that measure body perceptions, brain activity (EEG) and brain structure (MRI), lasting 3 to 4 hours in total.
REC name
London - Bromley Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
15/LO/1624
Date of REC Opinion
23 Sep 2015
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion