A game-based intervention developed by the University of New South Wales demonstrates its potential as a drug-free treatment for chronic pain.
How it works
A neurofeedback intervention called PainWaive includes a kit with an EEG headset and a tablet preloaded with a gaming application.
The gaming app trains users to regulate abnormal brain activity associated with chronic neuralgia. Responds in real time to shifts in brain wave patterns tracked through an EEG headset. User data is uploaded and sent to the research team for remote monitoring. Additionally, mental strategies are provided that help users optimize brain activity.
According to UNSW, because existing commercial systems were either expensive or did not meet the quality required for the project, the research team developed their own EEG headset through 3D printing.
Research teams from UNSW and Neuroscience Research Australia (Neura) recently conducted the first trial of the intervention with four participants.
Survey results
Based on Survey results The Neuro-Feedback intervention, published in Elsevier’s The Journal of Pain, “had moderate impact on pain severity and interference across participants.”
However, it was also pointed out that “variability in outcomes underscores the need for future research to better understand individual responses and optimize intervention efficacy.” On the individual level, three of the four participants significantly reduced pain after intervention.
“Limitations on research scale, design, and duration limit our ability to generalize findings or eliminate placebo effects. However, the results we see are exciting and give us confidence to move to the next stage and larger trials.”
Researchers hope that the program could eventually be offered as a home pain management solution for people who are limited or inaccessible to traditional treatments. For now, the research team is preparing a wider trial with the aim of recruiting 224 patients dealing with neuralgia caused by spinal cord injury.
Bigger trends
The PainWaive project is based on an ingenious study of brain changes related to neuralgia by UNSW Professor Sylvia Gustin.
“Electro-EEG in people with neuropathic pain shows clear patterns, such as slower theta waves, reduced alpha waves, faster, higher beta waves, and more. These changes believe that the thalamus interferes with other parts of the brain, particularly the sensorimotor cortex, and registers pain.
last month, Mobihealth News A report on a study co-led by Professor Gustin demonstrated the potential of digital treatments to retrain the brain processing of emotions associated with chronic pain.
The research and the PainWaive project are two of more than a dozen collaborations between UNSW and Neura, focusing on Professor Gustin’s research.
Another project will utilize virtual reality and real-world touch stimuli to help patients with complete spinal cord injury relearning.
UNSW and Neura are currently preparing to test two neuromodulation techniques. One investigates the potential to reduce chronic spinal pain, and the other examines its use in the treatment of chronic neuropathic pain in people with spinal cord injuries.
