Work

Feasibility of an 8-Week Home-Based Sensory Perception Training Game for People with Fibromyalgia: A Pilot Study

Year: 2024

Type: article

Abstract: People with fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS) may have difficulty attending rehabilitation sessions. We investigated the feasibility (adherence and satisfaction) of implementing an 8-week home-based somatosensory, entirely remote, self-training programme using the TrainPain smartphone app in people with FMS. The secondary aim was to evaluate the effect on pain symptoms. The training was performed 15 min/day, 7 days/week for 8 weeks. Participants identified the number of vibrations emitted by vibrotactile pods positioned on the most painful site and the contralateral side of the body. They completed the Brief Pain Inventory before, during (4 weeks), and at the end of the 8-week programme. At 8 weeks, they also rated satisfaction and the overall perceived change. The app recorded session completion. Of the 34 individuals recruited, 29 (mean, age 46 [SD] 9 years; 27 women; median duration of symptoms 7 [5;10] years) completed all assessments. Participants completed 75% of sessions and rated the programme easy-to-use and enjoyable, 94% would recommend the programme, and 38% reported a very strong improvement at 8 weeks. Pain intensity reduced from pre to post (effect size 0.77), as did interference (effect size 0.7 to 1.17). This treatment could be a useful addition to a multidisciplinary, multicomponent approach to FMS.

Source: Sensors

DOI: 10.3390/s25010134

Authors: Christophe Demoulin, Chloé Costes, Mélanie Sadok, Stéphanie Grosdent, Jean-François Kaux, Marc Vanderthommen

Institutions: University of Liège, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Liège, UCLouvain

Language: English

Topic: Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Research

Subfield: Psychiatry and Mental health

Field: Medicine

Domain: Health Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $2,955