Preliminary Testing of Efficacy of the Invented Sensory Re-education Device (SRED) on Patients with Peripheral Neuropathy

Abstract

Background: Sensory rehabilitation is considered one of the challenges and a persistent functional deficit in the long term. All rehabilitation paradigms use re-education in many different ways. The main issue here is that the brain mostly recognizes, considers and reacts with structured, and consistent input. Likewise, all the sensory rehabilitation techniques try to use a systematic input (type, pattern, timing and intensity) to regain or re-establish any type of sensation but none of these are perfectly systematic. Methods: For this reason, we developed a Sensory Re-Education Device (SRED) which allows a systematic sensory input “type, pattern, timing and intensity input” supported by software to operate the system and manage the data. Five senses (light touch, pinprick, hot-cold, vibration, and smell) were uploaded and constructed to allow different types, intensities, frequencies, patterns, and timing. Eight cases of Breast Cancer (BC) post-chemotherapy and Diabetes Mellitus II (DM2) were recruited for eight sessions. (Only hot-cold, smell, and light touch were used in this trial.) Result: The outcome was very impressive, as most of the patients regained their sensibility at a rate of over 80%. Conclusion: The outcome and the related treatment factors were showing a positive consistency. This is very encouraging, though a large sample is required to establish significance. The team members welcome any feedback, suggestions, and critiques via the PI email below.