Altered updating of bodily and spatial representations following tool-use in Complex Regional Pain Syndrome

摘要: Distorted representations of the body and peripersonal space are common in Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS), might modulate its symptoms (e.g. asymmetric limb temperature). In pain-free people, such malleable, update when we interact with objects our environment during tool-use). Distortions also after immobilisation, but quickly normalise once movement is regained. We tested hypothesis that people CRPS have problems updating bodily spatial representations, which contributes to maintenance their distorted by preventing normalization. explored spatially defined modulations hand temperature asymmetries, any influence on this effect. Thirty-six unilateral (18 upper limb, 18 lower limb) 36 controls completed tool-use tasks considered alter (measured using tactile distance judgements a visuotactile crossmodal congruency task, respectively). how arrangement (crossed, uncrossed) hands tools affected temperature. non-affected arm representation updated normally, opposite normal direction. A similar pattern was seen limbs CRPS, although not significant. Furthermore, showed more pronounced than controls. did observe modulation asymmetries or tools. Our findings suggest enhanced malleability potentially implicating central mechanisms aetiology condition.