A consortium of academic hospitals, technical research groups and commercial companies, including Noldus Information Technology, has initiated a major research project in the area of clinical neurology named “Trauma-RElated Neuronal Dysfunction (TREND)”. Noldus Information Technology, in close collaboration with several Dutch universities, will explore novel assessment technologies for the evaluation of patients suffering from Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS). The 4-year project, with a total budget of 22 million Euro, has received 50% funding from the Dutch government’s BSIK program. The other half of the budget is invested by the consortium partners.

Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS), formerly known as Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy, is a common, disabling and poorly understood disorder that predominantly affects female Caucasians and frequently follows an injury or surgery. It is mainly known for its sensory and autonomic symptoms and signs including pain, swelling, and changes of the color, temperature and sweating of the skin, features that are typical of inflammation. More recently, the clinical spectrum has been broadened to include movement disorders (weakness, dystonia, tremor and jerks) that seem to increase in frequency as the disease duration lengthens. The yearly incidence of CRPS in the Netherlands is estimated at 45 per 100.000. CRPS, however, does not stand alone. Repetitive Strain Injury (RSI), Fibromyalgia and Whiplash Syndrome share many aspects with CRPS, including the spectrum of clinical sensory, autonomic and motor features, the high female predominance and the variable extent in which trauma may provoke the onset of these syndromes. The clinical and demographic denominators of these Trauma-Induced Syndromes (TIS) suggest that these disorders may evolve through a common pathway and support the notion that CRPS may stand as an explanatory model for this group. Because these syndromes have a poor responsiveness to conventional treatment modalities they decrease people’s quality of life, impinge on work or recreational activities, increase healthcare resource utilization, and given their large prevalence, have a major socio-economic impact on society.  

Dr. Bob van Hilten (Leiden University Medical Center), scientific leader of the consortium, comments: “Given the major public health and economic implications, the time has come to formalize existing national research efforts on CRPS into a knowledge consortium, which will focus its efforts on CRPS”. Given the importance of both peripheral and central neuronal dysfunction in the pathogenesis of CRPS, the consortium’s name is Trauma RElated Neuronal Dysfunction (TREND). The consortium will integrate research on epidemiology, assessment technologies, pharmacotherapeutics, proteomics, and genetics on CRPS. It will address the following aims:

• Assess the occurrence of CRPS in the general population and study its disease course.
• Develop concepts on the intrinsic and extrinsic factors that play a role in the development of acute and chronic phase of CRPS.
• Develop reliable and valid assessment technologies for the evaluation of CRPS patients, using the latest computer vision and signal analysis techniques.
• Develop effective treatments for early CRPS with the aim of intervening to prevent the occurrence of a chronic course.
• Develop effective treatments for chronic CRPS to minimize the impairments and disabilities that could arise from incurable disease.  

The consortium consists of seven Dutch universities and two commercial companies:

• Leiden University Medical Center (Departments of Neurology, Anesthesiology and Genetics)
• Delft University of Technology (Man-Machine Systems & Control group)
• Academic Hospital Groningen (Department of Rehabilitation)
• Academic Hospital Maastricht (Department of Anesthesiology)
• Erasmus University Medical Center (Department of Anesthesiology, Institute of Medical Information)
• Utrecht University (Department of Biomolecular Mass Spectrometry)
• Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (Department of Anesthesiology)
• FCS Control Systems, a specialist in mechatronics for medical applications, such as robotic manipulators.
• Noldus Information Technology, an innovative developer of software and instrumentation for the study of behavior and movement. Operating from offices in The Netherlands, Germany and U.S.A, the company serves universities, research institutes, hospitals and pharmaceutical companies in more than 75 countries.  

Contact information:

Mechteld Ballintijn (Marketing Communications Manager)
Noldus Information Technology bv
Phone: +31-317-497677
E-mail: mailto:trend@noldus.nl