The effect of an EEG neurofeedback intervention for corneal neuropathic pain: A single-case experimental design with multiple baselines

IF 4 2区医学 Q1 CLINICAL NEUROLOGY

Journal of Pain Pub Date : 2025-07-01 DOI:10.1016/j.jpain.2025.105394

Negin Hesam-Shariati , Lara Alexander , Fiona Stapleton , Toby Newton-John , Chin-Teng Lin , Pauline Zahara , Kevin Yi Chen , Sebastian Restrepo , Ian W. Skinner , James H. McAuley , G. Lorimer Moseley , Mark P. Jensen , Sylvia M. Gustin

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Corneal neuropathic pain is a complex condition, rarely responsive to current treatments. This trial investigated the potential effect of a novel home-based self-directed EEG neurofeedback intervention on corneal neuropathic pain using a multiple-baseline single-case experimental design. Four Participants completed a predetermined baseline of 7, 10, 14, and 17 days, randomly assigned to each participant, followed by 20 intervention sessions over four weeks. Two one-week follow-ups occurred immediately and five weeks post-intervention during which participants were encouraged to practice mental strategies. Daily pain severity and pain interference observations were the outcome measures, while anxiety, depression, or sleep problems were the generalisation measures. The results showed a medium effect on pain severity and interference across participants when comparing baseline to five-week post-intervention according to Tau-U effect sizes. At the individual level, both Tau-U and NAP effect sizes indicated significant reductions in pain severity and interference for three participants when comparing baseline to five-week post-intervention. However, the reductions indicated by the visual inspection were not considered clinically meaningful. This single-case experimental design study raises the possibility that the intervention may improve pain severity and interference for some individuals; variability in outcomes highlights the need for future research to better understand individual responses and optimize the intervention effect.

Registration

Australian New Zealand Clinical Trial Registry ACTRN12623000173695

Perspective

This trial demonstrates the potential of EEG neurofeedback to reduce pain severity and interference in individuals with corneal neuropathic pain. It also highlights user preferences for technology-based interventions, emphasizing ease of use, accessibility, and self-administration to enhance adherence, especially for individuals with limited mobility or restricted healthcare access.

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脑电图神经反馈干预对角膜神经性疼痛的影响：单例多基线实验设计。

角膜神经性疼痛是一种复杂的疾病，很少对目前的治疗有反应。本试验采用多基线单例实验设计，研究了一种新颖的基于家庭的自我定向脑电图神经反馈干预对角膜神经性疼痛的潜在影响。四名参与者完成了预定的基线7、10、14和17天，随机分配给每位参与者，随后进行了为期四周的20次干预。随后进行了两次为期一周的随访，并在干预后进行了五周的随访，在此期间，参与者被鼓励练习心理策略。每日疼痛严重程度和疼痛干扰观察是结果测量，而焦虑、抑郁或睡眠问题是概括测量。结果显示，根据Tau-U效应量，当比较基线和干预后五周时，参与者对疼痛严重程度和干扰的影响中等。在个体水平上，Tau-U和NAP效应量表明，与干预后五周相比，三名参与者的疼痛严重程度和干扰显著降低。然而，目视检查显示的减少被认为没有临床意义。这项单例实验设计研究提出了干预可能改善某些个体疼痛严重程度和干预的可能性，结果的可变性突出了未来研究的必要性，以更好地了解个体反应并优化干预效果。观点：该试验证明了脑电图神经反馈在减轻角膜神经性疼痛患者疼痛严重程度和干扰方面的潜力。它还强调了用户对基于技术的干预措施的偏好，强调易用性、可访问性和自我管理，以增强依从性，特别是对于行动不便或医疗保健受限的个人。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

Journal of Pain 医学-临床神经学

CiteScore

6.30

自引率

7.50%

发文量

441

审稿时长

42 days

期刊介绍： The Journal of Pain publishes original articles related to all aspects of pain, including clinical and basic research, patient care, education, and health policy. Articles selected for publication in the Journal are most commonly reports of original clinical research or reports of original basic research. In addition, invited critical reviews, including meta analyses of drugs for pain management, invited commentaries on reviews, and exceptional case studies are published in the Journal. The mission of the Journal is to improve the care of patients in pain by providing a forum for clinical researchers, basic scientists, clinicians, and other health professionals to publish original research.