• Yuko Sano, Naoki Wake, Akimichi Ichinose, Michihiro Osumi, Reishi Oya, Masahiko Sumitani, Kumagaya Shin-Ichiro S The Research Center for Advanced Science and Technology, the University of Tokyo, 4-6-1 Komaba, Meguro-ku, Tokyo, Japan, 153-8904., and Yasuo Kuniyoshi.
• The Department of Mechano-Informatics, Graduate School of Information Science and Technology, the University of Tokyo, Eng. Bldg.2, 7-3-1, Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan, 113-8656. sano@isi.imi.i.u-tokyo.ac.jp.
• J Neuroeng Rehabil. 2016 Jun 28; 13 (1): 61.

BackgroundPrevious studies have tried to relieve deafferentation pain (DP) by using virtual reality rehabilitation systems. However, the effectiveness of multimodal sensory feedback was not validated. The objective of this study is to relieve DP by neurorehabilitation using a virtual reality system with multimodal sensory feedback and to validate the efficacy of tactile feedback on immediate pain reduction.MethodsWe have developed a virtual reality rehabilitation system with multimodal sensory feedback and applied it to seven patients with DP caused by brachial plexus avulsion or arm amputation. The patients executed a reaching task using the virtual phantom limb manipulated by their real intact limb. The reaching task was conducted under two conditions: one with tactile feedback on the intact hand and one without. The pain intensity was evaluated through a questionnaire.ResultsWe found that the task with the tactile feedback reduced DP more (41.8 ± 19.8 %) than the task without the tactile feedback (28.2 ± 29.5 %), which was supported by a Wilcoxon signed-rank test result (p < 0.05).ConclusionsOverall, our findings indicate that the tactile feedback improves the immediate pain intensity through rehabilitation using our virtual reality system.

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