Effects of non-pharmacological pain treatments on brain states

Clin Neurophysiol, 2013 · DOI: 10.1016/j.clinph.2013.04.009 · Published: October 1, 2013

Neurology Pain Management Rehabilitation

Simple Explanation

This study investigates how different non-drug pain treatments affect brain activity, specifically looking at brain waves measured by EEG. The treatments included hypnosis, meditation, neurofeedback, and transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS). A sham tDCS procedure was used as a control. The researchers wanted to see if changes in brain activity were related to changes in pain levels after each treatment. They hypothesized that treatments reducing pain would show specific patterns in brain waves, like increased slow-wave activity and decreased fast-wave activity. The results showed that each treatment had a unique impact on brain wave patterns. However, changes in brain activity weren't strongly linked to changes in pain. This suggests that the pain-reducing effects of these treatments might not be directly explained by the brain wave measures used in this study.

Study Duration

Not specified

Participants

30 individuals with spinal cord injury and chronic pain

Evidence Level

Not specified

Key Findings

1
Each non-pharmacological pain intervention was associated with a different pattern of changes in brain activity, as measured by EEG.
2
Hypnosis resulted in significant pre- to post-session increases in theta activity, and significant decreases in gamma activity.
3
Changes in EEG-assessed brain oscillations are not significantly associated with changes in pain, suggesting these changes don't explain treatment benefits.

Research Summary

The study evaluated the effects of non-pharmacological pain interventions (hypnosis, meditation, tDCS, neurofeedback) on pain and EEG-assessed brain oscillations in individuals with spinal cord injury and chronic pain. Each active procedure was significantly different from the control (sham tDCS) procedure in at least three EEG bandwidths, indicating unique effects on brain activity. Changes in EEG-assessed brain oscillations were not significantly associated with changes in pain, suggesting that these changes do not appear useful for explaining the benefits of these treatments.

Practical Implications

Personalized Treatment

Matching patients to treatments most effective for their particular condition may maximize treatment efficacy.

Combination Therapies

Different mechanisms of action might be combined synergistically to enhance pain relief.

Further Research Needed

Longitudinal examination of comparative effects of these procedures on both pain and cortical activity is warranted.

Study Limitations

1
Exploratory analyses may have led to type I errors; findings are suggestive only.
2
EEG assessments were not performed during the treatment procedures, reflecting only short-term impacts.
3
Sample consisted of individuals with spinal cord injury and chronic pain, limiting generalizability.

Your Feedback

Was this summary helpful?

Back to Neurology