Home-based Self-delivered Mirror Therapy for Phantom Limb Pain

NCT ID: NCT00827294

Last Updated: 2019-10-15

Basic Information

• Recruitment Status: COMPLETED
• Clinical Phase: EARLY_PHASE1
• Total Enrollment: 40 participants
• Study Classification: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Start Date: 2009-01-31
• Study Completion Date: 2010-11-30

Brief Summary

The goals of the study are to determine whether self-delivered, home-based mirror therapy decreases the frequency and intensity of phantom limb pain and improves mood and physical function in persons with phantom limb pain.

The investigators hypothesize that self-delivered home-based mirror therapy will significantly decrease phantom pain intensity, will improve mood, and will improve function at one-month follow-up.

Detailed Description

Background: Incidence of acquired amputation is increasing due to military conflict injuries and the increasing prevalence of diabetes-related peripheral vascular disease. Phantom pain is a commonly experienced comorbid condition. Existing treatments have shown mixed success in treating phantom pain. Mirror therapy has been shown to be an effective treatment when used under the guidance of a therapist in a clinical setting. There is anecdotal evidence that home-based therapy may also be effective.

Objective: Determine whether self-delivered, home-based mirror therapy decreases the frequency and intensity of phantom limb pain and improves the psychological status and physical function of amputees with phantom limb pain.

Design: Single group trial comparing pre- and post-treatment measures. Setting and Subjects: Up to 50 subjects with unilateral limb amputation and phantom limb pain will be recruited from the VA and OHSU hospital clinics. The investigators will also be passively recruiting through Kaiser Permanente Northwest (KPNW). The Pain Clinic and Physical Therapy Department at KPNW will post flyers in their waiting and patient areas for potential subjects to see. Interested patients will then self-refer to the study. Flyers will also be sent to regional amputee support groups in the Northwest and Southern California for distribution to their members. Certain inclusion and exclusion criteria must be met.

Intervention: Subjects will receive an information sheet and instruction in performing mirror therapy at home.

Measurements: Subjects will complete standard questionnaires designed to measure phantom pain level, function, depressive symptoms, pain-related anxiety, catastrophizing, and sleep quality. Subjects will also be asked about current use of pain medications and to keep a daily diary to keep track of treatment sessions.

Analysis: For the primary analysis comparing difference between baseline and 1 month post treatment, a paired t-test will be used to compare continuous variables (pain, depressive symptoms, pain-related anxiety level, sleep quality, pain catastrophizing, function) and for categorical outcomes (use of pain medications), McNemar's test or test of symmetry will be used. To investigate whether treatment gains for pain, depressive symptoms, pain-related anxiety level, sleep quality, pain catastrophizing, or function are sustained over time, a linear model will be used with controlling for correlation within repeated measures.

a. Specific Aims:

1. Primary Aim and Hypothesis: Primary Aim: Determine whether self-delivered, home-based mirror therapy decreases the intensity of phantom limb pain at one month follow-up. The primary outcome measure will be average pain intensity (the Brief Pain Inventory-short form; BPI-sf).

Hypothesis for Primary Aim #1: Amputees who practice mirror therapy at home will experience a decrease in the intensity of their phantom limb pain as measured by the Brief Pain Inventory-short form (BPI-sf) at one month follow-up.

Conditions

Phantom Limb Pain

Study Design

• Allocation Method: NA
• Intervention Model: SINGLE_GROUP
• Primary Study Purpose: TREATMENT
• Blinding Strategy: NONE

Study Groups

Self-delivered mirror therapy

All participants were directed to self-deliver mirror therapy for 20 minutes per day.

Group Type: EXPERIMENTAL

Mirror Therapy

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

The study is an uncontrolled pilot. Subjects receive instruction in performing mirror therapy at home, either in person or by viewing a DVD. Subjects will be asked to practice mirror therapy 20 minutes daily. Subjects will complete questionnaires for phantom pain, function, depressive symptoms, anxiety, catastrophizing, and sleep quality at baseline and post treatment at 1 month, 2 months, 3 months, and 6 months. Subjects will keep a diary of their practice and study staff will check in with subjects weekly for the first month, and monthly thereafter.

Interventions

Mirror Therapy

The study is an uncontrolled pilot. Subjects receive instruction in performing mirror therapy at home, either in person or by viewing a DVD. Subjects will be asked to practice mirror therapy 20 minutes daily. Subjects will complete questionnaires for phantom pain, function, depressive symptoms, anxiety, catastrophizing, and sleep quality at baseline and post treatment at 1 month, 2 months, 3 months, and 6 months. Subjects will keep a diary of their practice and study staff will check in with subjects weekly for the first month, and monthly thereafter.

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

• Age 18-75 years
• Unilateral amputation of upper or lower limb
• At least 1 month after surgical healing
• English-speaking (since not all study materials have been translated)

Exclusion Criteria

• History of brain injury or cognitive difficulties
• Severe mental illness that impairs cognition or function
• Suicidal ideation
• Current substance abuse or dependence
• Amputation related to diabetes

• Minimum Eligible Age: 18 Years
• Maximum Eligible Age: 75 Years
• Eligible Sex: ALL
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Sponsors

Oregon Health and Science University

OTHER

Sponsor Role: lead

Responsible Party

Beth Darnall, PhD

Associate Professor

Responsibility Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Principal Investigators

Beth D Darnall, PhD

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Oregon Health and Science University

Locations

Oregon Health & Science University

Portland, Oregon, United States

Countries

United States

References

Darnall BD. Self-delivered home-based mirror therapy for lower limb phantom pain. Am J Phys Med Rehabil. 2009 Jan;88(1):78-81. doi: 10.1097/PHM.0b013e318191105b.

Reference Type: BACKGROUND

PMID: 19096290 (View on PubMed)

Other Identifiers

5K12HD04348807

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: secondary_id

4925 Mirror Therapy

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id