Observations of Autonomic Variability following Central Neuromodulation for Chronic Neuropathic Pain in Spinal Cord Injury

The study investigates the connection between pain and the autonomic nervous system in people with spinal cord injuries who experience neuropathic pain. Researchers used a non-invasive brain stimulation technique called BreEStim to target the pain neuromatrix (PNM), a network of brain regions involved in pain processing. Heart rate variability (HRV) was measured to assess changes in autonomic function after the intervention. The study found that BreEStim reduced pain and improved autonomic function in SCI+NP patients.

• 1
  SCI+NP persons demonstrated increased parasympathetic tone (increased NN50, p=0.03, and pNN50, p=0.02, HRV parameters) following active BreEStim only.
• 2
  This parasympathetic restoration was associated with analgesia (VAS reduction, p<0.01).
• 3
  AB persons demonstrated increased noxious tolerance (increased EPT, p=0.03, with preserved EDL, p=0.78) only following active BreEStim.