Dysesthesia symptoms produced by sensorimotor incongruence in healthy volunteers: an electroencephalogram study

Abstract

ObjectivesPathological pain such as phantom limb pain is caused by sensorimotor incongruence. Several studies with healthy participants have clearly indicated that dysesthesia, which is similar to pathological pain, is caused by incongruence between proprioception and/or motor intention and visual feedback. It is not clear to what extent dysesthesia may be caused by incongruence between motor intention and visual feedback or by incongruence between proprioception and visual feedback. The aim of this study was to clarify the neurophysiology of these factors by analyzing electroencephalograms (EEGs).MethodsIn total, 18 healthy participants were recruited for this study. Participants were asked to perform repetitive flexion/extension exercises with their elbows in a congruent/incongruent position while viewing the activity in a mirror. EEGs were performed to determine cortical activation during sensorimotor congruence and incongruence.ResultsIn the high-frequency alpha band (10–12 Hz), numeric rating scale scores of a feeling of peculiarity were significantly correlated with event-related desynchronization/synchronization under the incongruence and proprioception conditions associated with motor intention and visual feedback (right inferior parietal region; r=−0.63, P<0.01) and between proprioception and visual feedback (right temporoparietal region; r=−0.49 and r=−0.50, P<0.05). In these brain regions, there was a region in which incongruence between proprioception and visual feedback and between motor intention and visual feedback caused an increase in activity.ConclusionThe present findings suggest that neural mechanisms of dysesthesia are caused by incongruence between proprioception associated with motor intention and visual feedback and, in particular, are a result of incongruence between proprioception only and visual feedback.

Sensory disturbances induced by sensorimotor conflicts are higher in complex regional pain syndrome and fibromyalgia compared to arthritis and healthy people, and positively relate to pain intensity

“…First, visual conditions (Congruent VF and Incongruent VF) were presented in a fixed order, rather than randomized (confounder) and a convenience sample was used. However, the results of our study are in line with previous studies showing that Incongruent VF induced more sensory disturbances than Congruent VF (Brun et al., ; Daenen et al., ; Foell et al., ; Katayama et al., ; McCabe et al., , ; Roussel et al., ) suggesting that these potential methodological biases had a minimal impact on our results. Second, in order to provide an informed consent, participants were informed that the experimental manipulations might cause brief discomfort, and therefore, it could have an impact on the results.…”

“…The first objective of this study was to assess and compare the sensory disturbances induced by sensorimotor conflicts in three chronic pain populations as well as in HV. In accordance with previous studies (Brun et al., ; Daenen, Roussel, Cras, & Nijs, ; Foell et al., ; Katayama, Osumi, Kodama, & Morioka, ; McCabe et al., , ; Roussel, De Kooning, Nijs, Wouters, & Cras, ), Incongruent VF induced more sensory disturbances than the Congruent VF condition in all groups. This effect was stronger in the CRPS and FM groups compared to the Arthritis group, which might be explained by the different origin of these pathologies and by the fact that they differ on several clinical characteristics.…”

“…However, in the presence of acute pain, participants reported changes in pain, discomfort, temperature and a perceived lost limb (Brun et al., ). Interestingly, two EEG studies in pain‐free individuals (Katayama et al., ; Nishigami et al., ) also support the presence of two distinct mechanisms in response to sensorimotor conflicts. Nishigami and collaborators (Nishigami et al., ) found that the effect of sensorimotor conflict was related to an increased activity of the right posterior parietal cortex compared to the congruent VF condition.…”

“…Using functional imaging, a previous study found similar activation in the parietal cortex and activation in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex during exposure to sensorimotor conflicts (Fink et al., ). Moreover, the specific sensation “feelings of peculiarity” evoked during sensorimotor conflict was also related to activation of the parietal cortex (Katayama et al., ). However, the activity of two pain‐related areas—the anterior cingulate and the posterior cingulate cortex—was more pronounced in participants who reported higher discomfort during sensorimotor conflict (Nishigami et al., ).…”

Motor and sensory disturbances induced by sensorimotor conflicts during passive and active movements in healthy participants

“…A total score was computed using the mean of the eight items. In the literature, it has been shown that healthy participants report on average three sensory disturbance items, mainly characterized by the impression of gaining a limb, feelings of peculiarity and losing control [ 4 , 19 , 23 ]. In our experiment, a total score of 0.25 means that participants reported a score of 1 (= low change) for two items or a score of 2 (= moderate change) for one item.…”