Daily activity support for chronic pain patients with wearable device and Ai-Robotic mechanics

2018 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 16K15673
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Exploratory Research
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Anesthesiology
• Research Institution: Gunma University
• Principal Investigator: Saito Shigeru 群馬大学, 大学院医学系研究科, 教授 (40251110)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 朱 赤 前橋工科大学, 工学部, 教授 (20345482)
• Project Period (FY): 2016-04-01 – 2019-03-31
• Keywords: ペインマトリックス / 慢性痛 / 下行性抑制系 / 神経再生 / 神経可塑性 / ウェアラブルモニター

Outline of Final Research Achievements

We invented new dry electrodes for a smart shirt for measuring biological signals, which were prepared by the additive printing method using Ag fillers. ECG could be measured using the stretchable electrodes printed on a compression shirt. However, noise signal in the ECG signal increased when the moisture of stratum corneum was less than 30%. To solve this problem, we propose to use additional electrodes made of an electrically conductive kneaded rubber.
Pain sensation with neuropathic characteristics was considered to be highly involved in the development of chronic pain both physically and psychologically. We determined that there were significant positive correlations between pain scores and the gray matter volume in the bilateral anterior cingulate cortex and right posterior cingulate cortex. Our findings suggest that neuropathic characteristics strongly affect the brain regions related to modulation of pain in patients with chronic pain.

Free Research Field

疼痛学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

慢性痛の主たるものである神経障害性疼痛の発症においては、大脳皮質と脊髄を含めた痛覚伝導神経回路の器質的・機能的な可塑的変化が原因とされており、制御された神経再生は「慢性痛」治療に必須である。正常な神経再生には筋肉運動が必須とされていることから、痛み患者の活動補助は治療の本幹となる。また、ペインマトリックスを構成する脳部位の特定を臨床データに基づき行い、心理面、社会的側面からの疼痛認知修飾に関して客観性を持つMRI法などを用いて明らかにできた。慢性痛の背景にある大脳特定部位での神経可塑性制御に関して、両側前帯状回、右後帯状回の量的変容が再確認できたことの意義は大きい。