PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Schwenkreis, P.
AU  - Maier, C.
AU  - Tegenthoff, M.
TI  - Functional Imaging of Central Nervous System Involvement in Complex Regional Pain Syndrome
AID  - 10.3174/ajnr.A1630
DP  - 2009 Aug 01
TA  - American Journal of Neuroradiology
PG  - 1279--1284
VI  - 30
IP  - 7
4099  - http://www.ajnr.org/content/30/7/1279.short
4100  - http://www.ajnr.org/content/30/7/1279.full
SO  - Am. J. Neuroradiol.2009 Aug 01; 30
AB  - SUMMARY: In complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS), functional imaging studies gave evidence for an important role of the central nervous system (CNS) in the pathogenesis of the disease. Especially, reorganization in central somatosensory and motor networks was demonstrated, leading to an altered central processing of tactile and nociceptive stimuli, as well as to an altered cerebral organization of movement. These findings may explain a number of clinical signs and symptoms occurring in the course of the disease and seem to be closely related to chronic pain in CRPS. Neurorehabilitative strategies, which target cortical areas and aim to restore impaired sensorimotor function in patients with CRPS, therefore, may be effective not only in restoring impaired function but also in pain reduction. This article reviews findings of functional imaging studies, which have been conducted to clarify CNS involvement in the course of CRPS.