Brain-Train Home Based Pain Treatment

• Research type

  Research Study

• Full title

  Home Based Brain-Train Treatment of Central Neuropathic Pain Following Spinal Cord Injury

• IRAS ID

  185720

• Contact name

  Aleksandra Vuckovic

• Contact email

  aleksandra.vuckovic@glasgow.ac.uk

• Sponsor organisation

  NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde

• Duration of Study in the UK

  2 years, 0 months, 0 days

• Research summary

  Spinal Cord Injury (SCI) affects person’s ability to move and feel sensation from the body. SCI is also an indirect cause of a persistent pain, called Central Neuropathic Pain (CNP). This pain typically develops several months after the injury. In 30% to 40% SCI patients severe CNP affects their everyday living including sleep and mood. Medication treatment of CNP is moderately effective and costly, both to the patient and to the health care system.

  In our previous study we defined some characteristic ‘signatures’ of brain waves that are related to CNP. Based on this, we developed and clinically tested on five SCI patients a novel treatment for CNP based on neurofeedback . We used electroencephalograph (EEG) to record patients’ brain waves and showed them to patients on the computer screen in a simple graphical form (e.g. bars). We trained patients to change their brain activity at will, and as a consequence their pain was reduced. We used costly laboratory devices and once study was over we could not offer an adequate alternative to patients.
  In this study we use cheap, portable, wireless and user friendly, CE marked EEG device to train 10 patients to self-administer the therapy in a comfort of their homes.
  • Primary purpose: The primary purpose of the study is to determine whether
  a portable system for neuromodulation is a useful tool for administering the therapy of pain (intensity of pain measured by the visual numerical scale VNS)
  • Secondary purpose: Quantitative analysis of changes in the brain activity due to therapy, as measured by EEG; patients’ perspective on a home based neuro-therapy. This will be assessed based on questionnaires and one-to-one semi-structured interviews

• REC name

  West of Scotland REC 4

• REC reference

  15/WS/0172

• Date of REC Opinion

  29 Sep 2015

• REC opinion

  Further Information Favourable Opinion