Photo Credit: ktsimage
The following is a summary of “Explicit Motor Imaging Abilities Are Similar in Complex Regional Pain Syndrome, Chronic Limb Pain and Healthy Individuals: A Cross-Sectional Study,” published in the April 2025 issue of Journal of Pain Research by Cohen-aknine G et al.
Complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) was a chronic pain condition involving peripheral, central sensory, and motor dysfunction, with implicit motor imagery impairment being well-documented, while evidence on explicit motor imagery remained limited.
Researchers conducted a retrospective study to compare explicit motor imagery abilities among individuals with CRPS, those with chronic limb pain (CLP), and healthy controls while also examining differences between affected and unaffected limbs.
They assessed 123 participants, including 40 with CRPS, 40 with CLP, and 43 healthy individuals. Each participant completed the Movement Imagery Questionnaire-Revised Second (MIQ-RS) separately for both sides of the body. The total MIQ-RS score, along with kinesthetic and visual subscores, was analyzed across groups and compared between the affected and unaffected sides.
The results showed substantial variability in explicit motor imagery scores and subscores across all participants, regardless of chronic pain status. The MIQ-RS detected no significant differences in explicit motor imagery abilities between groups or between affected and unaffected sides. Bayesian analysis supported the null hypothesis, showing a 7-fold likelihood of no group differences in kinesthetic motor imagery and a more than 5-fold likelihood of no differences between sides.
Investigators concluded that individuals with CRPS and CLP had displayed preserved explicit motor imagery abilities, particularly on the pain side, and that this preservation supported the recommendation of mental imagery therapy for improving motor function and relieving pain.
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