Individual variation in alpha neurofeedback training efficacy predicts pain modulation

Weiwei Peng; Yilin Zhan; Yali Jiang; Wenya Nan; Roi Cohen Kadosh; Feng Wan

doi:10.1016/j.nicl.2020.102454

Individual variation in alpha neurofeedback training efficacy predicts pain modulation

Neuroimage Clin. 2020:28:102454. doi: 10.1016/j.nicl.2020.102454. Epub 2020 Sep 29.

Authors

Weiwei Peng¹, Yilin Zhan², Yali Jiang³, Wenya Nan⁴, Roi Cohen Kadosh⁵, Feng Wan⁶

Affiliations

¹ School of Psychology, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China; Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Affective and Social Cognitive Science, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China.
² School of Psychology, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China.
³ Department of Psychology, Shanghai Normal University, Shanghai, China.
⁴ Department of Psychology, Shanghai Normal University, Shanghai, China. Electronic address: wynan1985@126.com.
⁵ Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom.
⁶ Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Macau, Macau, China; Centre for Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Institute of Collaborative Innovation, University of Macau, Macau, China.

Abstract

Studies have shown an association between sensorimotor α-oscillation and pain perception. It suggests the potential use of neurofeedback (NFB) training for pain modulation through modifying sensorimotor α-oscillation. Here, a single-session NFB training protocol targeted on increasing sensorimotor α-oscillations was applied to forty-five healthy participants. Pain thresholds to nociceptive laser stimulations and pain ratings (intensity and unpleasantness) to identical laser painful stimulations were assessed immediately before and after NFB training. Participants had larger pain thresholds, but rated the identical painful laser stimulation as more unpleasant after NFB training. These pain measurements were further compared between participants with high or low NFB training efficacy that was quantified as the regression slope of α-oscillation throughout the ten training blocks. A significant increase in pain thresholds was observed among participants with high-efficacy; whereas a significant increase in pain ratings was observed among participants with low-efficacy. These results suggested that NFB training decreased the sensory-discriminative aspect of pain, but increased the affective-motivational aspect of pain, whereas both pain modulations were dependent upon the NFB training efficacy. Importantly, correlation analysis across all participants revealed that a greater NFB training efficacy predicted a greater increase in pain thresholds particularly at hand contralateral to NFB target site, but no significant correlation was observed between NFB training efficacy and modulation on pain ratings. It thus provided causal evidence for a link between sensorimotor α-oscillation and the sensory-discriminative aspect of pain, and highlighted the need for personalized neurofeedback for the benefits on pain modulation at the individual level. Future studies can adopt a double-blind sham-controlled protocol to validate NFB training induced pain modulation.

Keywords: Neurofeedback; Pain; Pain intensity; Pain threshold; Sensorimotor α-oscillation; Unpleasantness.

Publication types

Randomized Controlled Trial
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Double-Blind Method
Humans
Neurofeedback*
Pain
Pain Measurement

Grants and funding

203139/Z/16/Z/WT_/Wellcome Trust/United Kingdom