ArticleJournal of neuroengineering and rehabilitation2019
Home used, patient self-managed, brain-computer interface for the management of central neuropathic pain post spinal cord injury: usability study.
Article in Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitation, 2019. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 31 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
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The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
31 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- The impact of non-invasive brain-computer interface technology on the therapeutic effect of patients with spinal cord injury: a summary of evidence based on meta-analysis.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitation · 2025Pooled it
- Brain-Computer Interfaces Systems for Upper and Lower Limb Rehabilitation: A Systematic Review.Sensors (Basel, Switzerland) · 2021Pooled it
- Neurofeedback for Management of Musculoskeletal Pain: A Randomized Control Trial Using DOMS.Pain research & management · 2026Trial
- Closed-Loop Infraslow Brain-Computer Interface can Modulate Cortical Activity and Connectivity in Individuals With Chronic Painful Knee Osteoarthritis: A Secondary Analysis of a Randomized Placebo-Controlled Clinical Trial.Clinical EEG and neuroscience · 2025Trial
- Trial
- Feasibility of a novel neurofeedback system: a parallel randomized single-blinded pilot study.Scientific reports · 2023Trial
- On the way home: a BCI-FES hand therapy self-managed by sub-acute SCI participants and their caregivers: a usability study.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitation · 2021Trial
- Individual variation in alpha neurofeedback training efficacy predicts pain modulation.NeuroImage. Clinical · 2020Trial
- EEG neurofeedback for the treatment of neuropathic pain in the elderly-a mechanistic review.GeroScience · 2026Review
- Current status and future prospects of brain-computer interfaces in the field of neurological disease rehabilitation.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciences · 2026Review
- Virtual Reality Interventions for Spinal Cord Injury-Related Neuropathic Pain: A Comprehensive Scoping Review of Multidimensional Outcomes.Journal of pain research · 2025Review
- From lab to life: challenges and perspectives of fNIRS for haemodynamic-based neurofeedback in real-world environments.Philosophical transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological sciences · 2024Review
- Feasibility and Safety of a Home-based Electroencephalogram Neurofeedback Intervention to Reduce Chronic Neuropathic Pain: A Cohort Clinical Trial.Archives of rehabilitation research and clinical translation · 2024Article
- Qualitative studies involving users of clinical neurotechnology: a scoping review.BMC medical ethics · 2024Article
- Pathology of pain and its implications for therapeutic interventions.Signal transduction and targeted therapy · 2024Review
- A Scoping Review of the Effect of EEG Neurofeedback on Pain Complaints in Adults with Chronic Pain.Journal of clinical medicine · 2024Article
- A novel theta-controlled vibrotactile brain-computer interface to treat chronic pain: a pilot study.Scientific reports · 2024Article
- Evaluating the effectiveness of neurofeedback in chronic pain management: a narrative review.Frontiers in psychology · 2024Review
- Flower electrodes for comfortable dry electroencephalography.Scientific reports · 2023Article
- Analyzing and computing humans by means of the brain using Brain-Computer Interfaces - understanding the user - previous evidence, self-relevance and the user's self-concept as potential superordinate human factors of relevance.Frontiers in human neuroscience · 2023Review
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
5 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundCentral Neuropathic Pain (CNP) is a frequent chronic condition in people with spinal cord injury (SCI). Previously, we showed that using laboratory brain-computer interface (BCI) technology for neurofeedback (NFB) training, it was possible to reduce CNP in people with SCI. In this study, we show results of patient self-managed treatment in their homes with a BCI-NFB using a consumer EEG device.
methodsUsers: People with chronic SCI (17 M, 3 F, 50.6 ± 14.1 years old), and CNP ≥4 on a Visual Numerical Scale. LOCATION: Laboratory training (up to 4 sessions) followed by home self-managed NFB. User Activity: Upregulating the EEG alpha band power by 10% above a threshold and at the same time downregulating the theta and upper beta (20-30 Hz) band power by 10% at electrode location C4. Technology: A consumer grade multichannel EEG headset (Epoch, Emotiv, USA), a tablet computer and custom made NFB software. EVALUATION: EEG analysis, before and after NFB assessment, interviews and questionnaires.
resultsEffectiveness: Out of 20 initially assessed participants, 15 took part in the study. Participants used the system for 6.9 ± 5.5 (median 4) weeks. Twelve participants regulated their brainwaves in a frequency specific manner and were most successful upregulating the alpha band power. However they typically upregulated power around their individual alpha peak (7.6 ± 0.8 Hz) that was lower than in people without CNP. The reduction in pain experienced was statistically significant in 12 and clinically significant (greater than 30%) in 8 participants. Efficiency: The donning was between 5 and 15 min, and approximately 10-20% of EEG data recorded in the home environment was noise. Participants were mildly stressed when self-administering NFB at home (2.4 on a scale 1-10). User satisfaction: Nine participants who completed the final assessment reported a high level of satisfaction (QUESQ, 4.5 ± 0.8), naming effectiveness, ease of use and comfort as main priorities. The main factors influencing frequency of NFB training were: health related issues, free time and pain intensity.
conclusionPortable NFB is a feasible solution for home-based self-managed treatment of CNP. Compared to pharmacological treatments, NFB has less side effects and provides users with active control over pain.
trial registrationGN15NE124 , Registered 9th June 2016.
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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.