Other publications by CRPS Network members 2016-2018

Many of our Network members are experienced researchers in the field of CRPS and chronic pain. Not all of their publications are directly related to Registry studies, but are still very relevant to our work. A key selection are listed below.

Abstracts (overviews) of all research papers can be accessed using the following links, but please note that some will require an active subscription to the relevant journal in order to access the full publication.

Parenting people with complex regional pain syndrome: An analysis of the process of parental online communication - published in Pain Reports, September 2018. This study provided a novel insight into support and communication exchanges between parents of young people with CRPS on online public forums. Findings identified the perceived usefulness of online spaces in terms of parents of young people with CRPS seeking and providing support. Further research can helpfully investigate how we might implement online peer mentoring to improve support further for parents.

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Altered Neurocognitive Processing of Tactile Stimuli in Patients with Complex Regional Pain Syndrome - published in the Journal of Pain, April 2018. Chronic pain in CRPS has been linked to tactile misperceptions and deficits in somatotopic representation of the affected limb. This study identified altered cognitive processing of tactile stimuli in CRPS patients that the researchers propose marks heterogeneity in tactile decision-making mechanisms. 

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Stickler syndrome in children: a radiological review - published in Clinical Radiology, April 2018. This study aimed to review the radiological findings of the largest cohort to date of paediatric patients with Stickler syndrome, all with confirmed molecular genetic analysis and sub-typing.

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Classification and characterisation of brain network changes in chronic back pain: A multicenter study - published in Wellcome Open Research, March 2018. The results of this study provide evidence of consistent and characteristic brain network changes in chronic pain, characterised primarily by extensive reorganisation of the network architecture of the sensorimotor cortex.

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Patient consultation about a trial of therapeutic plasma exchange for complex regional pain syndrome - published in Journal of Clinical Apheresis 2018. The results of this patient and public consultation exercise provided pertinent patient views about therapeutic plasma exchange treatment. This can inform both clinical consultation and consent procedure, as well as the design of future trials.

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Cost-utility of maintained physical activity and physiotherapy in the management of distal arm pain: an economic evaluation of data from a randomised controlled trial - published in Family Practice 2018. Arm pain is common, costly to health services and society. Physiotherapy referral is standard management, and while awaiting treatment, advice is often given to rest, but the evidence base is weak. This study assessed the cost-effectiveness of advice to remain active versus advice to rest; and immediate physiotherapy versus usual care (waiting list) physiotherapy.

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Complex regional pain syndrome in distal radius fractures: How to implement changes to reduce incidence and facilitate early management - published in the Journal of Hand Therapy 2018. This study demonstrated how knowledge about CRPS and its prevention can be translated into clinical practice. Simple interventions can have a significant impact on the incidence of CRPS in a community of practice where a culture of team reflection and shared learning occurs.

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Complex regional pain syndrome acute care pathways in England: Do they exist and what do they look like? - published in Hand Therapy 2018. The British Orthopaedic Association (BOA) and the Royal College of Physicians (RCP) have recommended treatment guidelines and care pathways for the management of acute Complex Regional Pain Syndrome. The objective of this scoping exercise was to use Freedom of Information requests to ascertain whether NHS Trusts in England had such pathways and what they looked like.

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Space-based bias of covert visual attention in complex regional pain syndrome - published in Brain Neurological journal 2016.  A video relating to the study can also be accessed here.  Some patients with CRPS report that movements of the affected limb are slow and more effortful. These symptoms have been likened to the syndrome that sometimes follows brain injury called hemispatial neglect, in which patients exhibit attentional impairments and problems with movements. The study concluded that inattention in near space in CRPS may arise in parallel with a distorted perception of the body.

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"What I really needed was the truth". Exploring the information needs of people with CRPS - published in Musculoskeletal Care 2016. Using semi-structured interviews, participants were asked about their experience of receiving information since diagnosis and the information that they would prefer to receive. The reported lack of information resulted in a struggle for participants to understand their condition, and access professional expertise and appropriate treatments. Health professionals require access to accurate information in order to share this with individuals with CRPS in a timely manner. 

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Sensorimotor dysfunction after limb fracture: an exploratory study - published in the European Journal of Pain 2016. Chronic pain is often associated with sensorimotor dysfunction but little is known about the early impact of limb fracture on sensory and motor performance. This exploratory study sought to assess these changes in patients with recent wrist and ankle fractures.

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Co-creation of information leaflets to meet the support needs of people living with complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) through innovative use of wiki technology - published in Informatics for Health and Social Care 2016. People living with CRPS taking part in a larger study were invited to co-construct a CRPS wiki page that addressed the areas in which they had experienced the most difficulty. Due to a lack of engagement with the wiki technology, the team subsequently decided to create a suite of leaflets which were piloted with delegates at a CRPS patient conference.

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Can we reduce the incidence of complex regional pain syndrome type I in distal radius fractures? The Liverpool experience - published in Hand Therapy 2016. A series of audits and service evaluations were conducted from 2004 to 2013 to investigate the incidence of CRPS type I and any correlation to tight, restrictive, over-flexed casts. Simple subsequent clinical and patient management changes were implemented and impact re-evaluated.

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