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Mental imagery training for treatment of central neuropathic pain: a narrative review

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Abstract

Mental imagery is a quasi-perceptual experience in the absence of external stimuli. This concept has intrigued psychologists, sportspersons, neurologists and other scientists for over a decade now. Imagery has been used in rehabilitation and the results have been promising. Researchers refer to this as healing the body through the mind. However, the challenge is lack of standardized protocols, homogeneity and consistency in application of mental imagery in different populations. The purpose of this review is to discuss and understand the role of mental imagery in the treatment of central neuropathic pain (CNP). Treatment options of CNP are inadequate and their benefits are short lived. We conducted an extensive search on various databases using combinations of different keywords and reviewed the available literature in this area. We were able to finalize twelve studies where mental imagery was used for treating CNP in spinal cord injury (SCI), stroke and multiple sclerosis. However, the methodology and techniques of mental imagery training used in these studies were non-homogeneous and inconsistent. This review provides a guiding framework to further explore the different techniques of mental imagery and their roles in treating CNP.

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Abbreviations

CNS:

Central nervous system

CPSP:

Central post stroke pain

CRPS:

Complex regional pain syndrome

DRG:

Dorsal root ganglion

GMI:

Graded motor imagery

IASP:

International Association for the Study of Pain

NP:

Neuropathic pain

CNP:

Central neuropathic pain

PNP:

Peripheral neuropathic pain

ROM:

Range of motion

SCI:

Spinal cord injury

tDCS:

Transcranial direct current stimulation

TENS:

transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation

WHO:

World Health Organization

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Amity Institute of Neuropsychology and Neurosciences (AINN), Amity University UP, Room No. 222A, J1 Block, Sector 125, Noida, 201303, India

    Jaskirat Kaur & Jitendra Kumar Sinha

  2. Indian Spinal Injuries Centre (ISIC), Sector C, Vasant Kunj, New Delhi, 110070, India

    Jaskirat Kaur & Asish Kumar Sahani

  3. Indian Council of Medical Research-National Institute of Nutrition, Tarnaka, Hyderabad, 500007, India

    Shampa Ghosh

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  1. Jaskirat Kaur
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  2. Shampa Ghosh
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Correspondence to Jitendra Kumar Sinha.

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Kaur, J., Ghosh, S., Sahani, A.K. et al. Mental imagery training for treatment of central neuropathic pain: a narrative review. Acta Neurol Belg 119, 175–186 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13760-019-01139-x

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