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Millard SK, Speis DB, Skippen P, Chiang AKI, Chang WJ, Lin AJ, Furman AJ, Mazaheri A, Seminowicz DA, Schabrun SM. Can non-invasive brain stimulation modulate peak alpha frequency in the human brain? A systematic review and meta-analysis. Eur J Neurosci 2024. [PMID: 38779808 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.16424] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2023] [Revised: 04/18/2024] [Accepted: 05/06/2024] [Indexed: 05/25/2024]
Abstract
Peak alpha frequency (PAF), the dominant oscillatory frequency within the alpha range (8-12 Hz), is associated with cognitive function and several neurological conditions, including chronic pain. Manipulating PAF could offer valuable insight into the relationship between PAF and various functions and conditions, potentially providing new treatment avenues. This systematic review aimed to comprehensively synthesise effects of non-invasive brain stimulation (NIBS) on PAF speed. Relevant studies assessing PAF pre- and post-NIBS in healthy adults were identified through systematic searches of electronic databases (Embase, PubMed, PsychINFO, Scopus, The Cochrane Library) and trial registers. The Cochrane risk-of-bias tool was employed for assessing study quality. Quantitative analysis was conducted through pairwise meta-analysis when possible; otherwise, qualitative synthesis was performed. The review protocol was registered with PROSPERO (CRD42020190512) and the Open Science Framework (https://osf.io/2yaxz/). Eleven NIBS studies were included, all with a low risk-of-bias, comprising seven transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS), three repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS), and one transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) study. Meta-analysis of active tACS conditions (eight conditions from five studies) revealed no significant effects on PAF (mean difference [MD] = -0.12, 95% CI = -0.32 to 0.08, p = 0.24). Qualitative synthesis provided no evidence that tDCS altered PAF and moderate evidence for transient increases in PAF with 10 Hz rTMS. However, it is crucial to note that small sample sizes were used, there was substantial variation in stimulation protocols, and most studies did not specifically target PAF alteration. Further studies are needed to determine NIBS's potential for modulating PAF.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samantha K Millard
- Faculty of Medicine, Wallace Wurth Building, University of New South Wales (UNSW), Kensington, NSW, Australia
- Centre for Pain IMPACT, Neuroscience Research Australia (NeuRA), Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Darrah B Speis
- Department of Neural and Pain Sciences, University of Maryland School of Dentistry, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Center to Advance Chronic Pain Research, University of Maryland Baltimore, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Patrick Skippen
- Centre for Pain IMPACT, Neuroscience Research Australia (NeuRA), Sydney, NSW, Australia
- Hunter Medical Research Institute, Newcastle, NSW, Australia
- School of Medicine and Public Health, College of Health, Medicine and Wellbeing, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW, Australia
| | - Alan K I Chiang
- Faculty of Medicine, Wallace Wurth Building, University of New South Wales (UNSW), Kensington, NSW, Australia
- Centre for Pain IMPACT, Neuroscience Research Australia (NeuRA), Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Wei-Ju Chang
- Centre for Pain IMPACT, Neuroscience Research Australia (NeuRA), Sydney, NSW, Australia
- School of Health Science, College of Health, Medicine and Wellbeing, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW, Australia
| | - Andrew J Lin
- Centre for Pain IMPACT, Neuroscience Research Australia (NeuRA), Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Andrew J Furman
- Department of Neural and Pain Sciences, University of Maryland School of Dentistry, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Center to Advance Chronic Pain Research, University of Maryland Baltimore, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Department of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Ali Mazaheri
- School of Psychology, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
- Centre for Human Brain Health (CHBH), University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
| | - David A Seminowicz
- Centre for Pain IMPACT, Neuroscience Research Australia (NeuRA), Sydney, NSW, Australia
- Department of Neural and Pain Sciences, University of Maryland School of Dentistry, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Center to Advance Chronic Pain Research, University of Maryland Baltimore, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Department of Medical Biophysics, Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada
| | - Siobhan M Schabrun
- Centre for Pain IMPACT, Neuroscience Research Australia (NeuRA), Sydney, NSW, Australia
- School of Physical Therapy, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada
- The Gray Centre for Mobility and Activity, Parkwood Institute, London, Ontario, Canada
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2
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Ho RL, Park J, Wang WE, Thomas JS, Cruz-Almeida Y, Coombes SA. Lower individual alpha frequency in individuals with chronic low back pain and fear of movement. Pain 2024; 165:1033-1043. [PMID: 38112575 PMCID: PMC11018483 DOI: 10.1097/j.pain.0000000000003098] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2023] [Accepted: 06/27/2023] [Indexed: 12/21/2023]
Abstract
ABSTRACT Significant progress has been made in linking measures of individual alpha frequency (IAF) and pain. A lower IAF has been associated with chronic neuropathic pain and with an increased sensitivity to pain in healthy young adults. However, the translation of these findings to chronic low back pain (cLBP) are sparse and inconsistent. To address this limitation, we assessed IAFs in a cohort of 70 individuals with cLBP, implemented 3 different IAF calculations, and separated cLBP subjects based on psychological variables. We hypothesized that a higher fear movement in cLBP is associated with a lower IAF at rest. A total of 10 minutes of resting data were collected from 128 electroencephalography channels. Our results offer 3 novel contributions to the literature. First, the high fear group had a significantly lower peak alpha frequency. The high fear group also reported higher pain and higher disability. Second, we calculated individual alpha frequency using 3 different but established methods; the effect of fear on individual alpha frequency was robust across all methods. Third, fear of movement, pain intensity, and disability highly correlated with each other and together significantly predicted IAF. Our findings are the first to show that individuals with cLBP and high fear have a lower peak alpha frequency.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachel L.M. Ho
- Laboratory for Rehabilitative Neuroscience, Department of Applied Physiology and Kinesiology, University of Florida
| | - Jinhan Park
- Laboratory for Rehabilitative Neuroscience, Department of Applied Physiology and Kinesiology, University of Florida
| | - Wei-en Wang
- Laboratory for Rehabilitative Neuroscience, Department of Applied Physiology and Kinesiology, University of Florida
| | - James S. Thomas
- Motor Control Lab, Department of Physical Therapy, Virginia Commonwealth University
| | - Yenisel Cruz-Almeida
- Pain Research and Intervention Center of Excellence, Department of Community Dentistry, University of Florida
| | - Stephen A. Coombes
- Laboratory for Rehabilitative Neuroscience, Department of Applied Physiology and Kinesiology, University of Florida
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3
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Fauchon C, Bastuji H, Peyron R, Garcia-Larrea L. Fractal Similarity of Pain Brain Networks. ADVANCES IN NEUROBIOLOGY 2024; 36:639-657. [PMID: 38468056 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-031-47606-8_32] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/13/2024]
Abstract
The conscious perception of pain is the result of dynamic interactions of neural activities from local brain regions to distributed brain networks. Mapping out the networks of functional connections between brain regions that form and disperse when an experimental participant received nociceptive stimulations allow to characterize the pattern of network connections related to the pain experience.Although the pattern of intra- and inter-areal connections across the brain are incredibly complex, they appear also largely scale free, with "fractal" connectivity properties reproducing at short and long-time scales. Our results combining intracranial recordings and functional imaging in humans during pain indicate striking similarities in the activity and topological representation of networks at different orders of temporality, with reproduction of patterns of activation from the millisecond to the multisecond range. The connectivity analyzed using graph theory on fMRI data was organized in four sets of brain regions matching those identified through iEEG (i.e., sensorimotor, default mode, central executive, and amygdalo-hippocampal).Here, we discuss similarities in brain network organization at different scales or "orders," in participants as they feel pain. Description of this fractal-like organization may provide clues about how our brain regions work together to create the perception of pain and how pain becomes chronic when its organization is altered.
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Affiliation(s)
- Camille Fauchon
- Université Clermont Auvergne, CHU de Clermont-Ferrand, Inserm, Neuro-Dol, Clermont-Ferrand, France.
- Université Jean Monnet, Inserm, CRNL, NeuroPain, Saint-Etienne, France.
| | - Hélène Bastuji
- Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, UJM, Inserm, CRNL, NeuroPain, Bron, France
| | - Roland Peyron
- Université Jean Monnet, Inserm, CRNL, NeuroPain, Saint-Etienne, France
- CHU, centre de la douleur, Saint-Etienne, France
| | - Luis Garcia-Larrea
- Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, UJM, Inserm, CRNL, NeuroPain, Bron, France
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Rosner J, de Andrade DC, Davis KD, Gustin SM, Kramer JLK, Seal RP, Finnerup NB. Central neuropathic pain. Nat Rev Dis Primers 2023; 9:73. [PMID: 38129427 DOI: 10.1038/s41572-023-00484-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/21/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023]
Abstract
Central neuropathic pain arises from a lesion or disease of the central somatosensory nervous system such as brain injury, spinal cord injury, stroke, multiple sclerosis or related neuroinflammatory conditions. The incidence of central neuropathic pain differs based on its underlying cause. Individuals with spinal cord injury are at the highest risk; however, central post-stroke pain is the most prevalent form of central neuropathic pain worldwide. The mechanisms that underlie central neuropathic pain are not fully understood, but the pathophysiology likely involves intricate interactions and maladaptive plasticity within spinal circuits and brain circuits associated with nociception and antinociception coupled with neuronal hyperexcitability. Modulation of neuronal activity, neuron-glia and neuro-immune interactions and targeting pain-related alterations in brain connectivity, represent potential therapeutic approaches. Current evidence-based pharmacological treatments include antidepressants and gabapentinoids as first-line options. Non-pharmacological pain management options include self-management strategies, exercise and neuromodulation. A comprehensive pain history and clinical examination form the foundation of central neuropathic pain classification, identification of potential risk factors and stratification of patients for clinical trials. Advanced neurophysiological and neuroimaging techniques hold promise to improve the understanding of mechanisms that underlie central neuropathic pain and as predictive biomarkers of treatment outcome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jan Rosner
- Danish Pain Research Center, Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
- Spinal Cord Injury Center, Balgrist University Hospital, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- Department of Neurology, University Hospital Bern, Inselspital, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Daniel C de Andrade
- Center for Neuroplasticity and Pain (CNAP), Department of Health Science and Technology, Faculty of Medicine, Aalborg University, Aalborg, Denmark
| | - Karen D Davis
- Division of Brain, Imaging and Behaviour, Krembil Brain Institute, Toronto Western Hospital, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Surgery and Institute of Medical Science, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Sylvia M Gustin
- Centre for Pain IMPACT, Neuroscience Research Australia, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
- NeuroRecovery Research Hub, School of Psychology, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - John L K Kramer
- International Collaboration on Repair Discoveries, ICORD, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
- Department of Anaesthesiology, Pharmacology & Therapeutics, Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Rebecca P Seal
- Pittsburgh Center for Pain Research, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Departments of Neurobiology and Otolaryngology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Nanna B Finnerup
- Danish Pain Research Center, Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark.
- Department of Neurology, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark.
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Mazaheri A, Furman AJ, Seminowicz DA. Fear and pain slow the brain. Pain 2023; 165:00006396-990000000-00444. [PMID: 38112650 PMCID: PMC11045659 DOI: 10.1097/j.pain.0000000000003099] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2023] [Accepted: 09/14/2023] [Indexed: 12/21/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Ali Mazaheri
- School of Psychology, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
- Centre for Human Brain Health (CHBH), University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
| | - Andrew J. Furman
- Department of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - David A. Seminowicz
- Department of Medical Biophysics, Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada
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Hector MS, Cheng JC, Hemington KS, Rogachov A, Kim JA, Osborne NR, Bosma RL, Fauchon C, Ayoub LJ, Inman R, Oh J, Anastakis DJ, Davis KD. Resilience is associated with cortical gray matter of the antinociceptive pathway in people with chronic pain. Biol Psychol 2023; 183:108658. [PMID: 37567549 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsycho.2023.108658] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2023] [Revised: 06/12/2023] [Accepted: 08/08/2023] [Indexed: 08/13/2023]
Abstract
Resilience is an important personal characteristic that influences health and recovery. Previous studies of chronic pain suggest that highly resilient people may be more effective at modulating their pain. Since brain gray matter in the antinociceptive pathway has also been shown to be abnormal in people with chronic pain, we examined whether resilience is related to gray matter in regions of interest (ROIs) of the antinociceptive pathway (rostral and subgenual anterior cingulate cortex (rACC, sgACC), anterior insula (aINS), dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC)) normally and in people who are experiencing chronic pain. We extracted gray matter volume (GMV) and cortical thickness (CT) from 3T MRIs of 88 people with chronic pain (half males/females) and 86 healthy controls (HCs), who completed The Resilience Scale and Brief Pain Inventory. We found that resilience scores were significantly lower in people with chronic pain compared to HCs, whereas ROI GMV and CT were not different between groups. Resilience negatively correlated with average pain scores and positively correlated with GMV in the bilateral rACC, sgACC, and left dlPFC of people with chronic pain. Mediation analyses revealed that GMV in the right rACC and left sgACC partially co-mediated the relationship between resilience and average pain in people with chronic pain. The resilience-pain and some resilience-GMV relationships were sex-dependent. These findings suggest that the antinociceptive pathway may play a role in the impact of resilience on one's ability to modulate chronic pain. A better understanding of the brain-resilience relationship may help advance evidence-based approaches to pain management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melinda S Hector
- Division of Brain, Imaging, and Behaviour, Krembil Brain Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada; Institute of Medical Science, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Joshua C Cheng
- Division of Brain, Imaging, and Behaviour, Krembil Brain Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada; Institute of Medical Science, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Kasey S Hemington
- Division of Brain, Imaging, and Behaviour, Krembil Brain Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada; Institute of Medical Science, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Anton Rogachov
- Division of Brain, Imaging, and Behaviour, Krembil Brain Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada; Institute of Medical Science, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Junseok A Kim
- Division of Brain, Imaging, and Behaviour, Krembil Brain Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada; Institute of Medical Science, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Natalie R Osborne
- Division of Brain, Imaging, and Behaviour, Krembil Brain Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada; Institute of Medical Science, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Rachael L Bosma
- Division of Brain, Imaging, and Behaviour, Krembil Brain Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Camille Fauchon
- Division of Brain, Imaging, and Behaviour, Krembil Brain Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Lizbeth J Ayoub
- Centre for Multimodal Sensorimotor and Pain Research, Faculty of Dentistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada; Division of Clinical and Computational Neuroscience, Krembil Brain Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Robert Inman
- Schroeder Arthritis Institute, Krembil Research Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada; Division of Immunology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Jiwon Oh
- Division of Neurology, Department of Medicine, St. Michael's Hospital, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Dimitri J Anastakis
- Institute of Medical Science, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada; Department of Surgery, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Karen D Davis
- Division of Brain, Imaging, and Behaviour, Krembil Brain Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada; Institute of Medical Science, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada; Department of Surgery, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada.
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7
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Smith PA. Neuropathic pain; what we know and what we should do about it. FRONTIERS IN PAIN RESEARCH 2023; 4:1220034. [PMID: 37810432 PMCID: PMC10559888 DOI: 10.3389/fpain.2023.1220034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2023] [Accepted: 09/05/2023] [Indexed: 10/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Neuropathic pain can result from injury to, or disease of the nervous system. It is notoriously difficult to treat. Peripheral nerve injury promotes Schwann cell activation and invasion of immunocompetent cells into the site of injury, spinal cord and higher sensory structures such as thalamus and cingulate and sensory cortices. Various cytokines, chemokines, growth factors, monoamines and neuropeptides effect two-way signalling between neurons, glia and immune cells. This promotes sustained hyperexcitability and spontaneous activity in primary afferents that is crucial for onset and persistence of pain as well as misprocessing of sensory information in the spinal cord and supraspinal structures. Much of the current understanding of pain aetiology and identification of drug targets derives from studies of the consequences of peripheral nerve injury in rodent models. Although a vast amount of information has been forthcoming, the translation of this information into the clinical arena has been minimal. Few, if any, major therapeutic approaches have appeared since the mid 1990's. This may reflect failure to recognise differences in pain processing in males vs. females, differences in cellular responses to different types of injury and differences in pain processing in humans vs. animals. Basic science and clinical approaches which seek to bridge this knowledge gap include better assessment of pain in animal models, use of pain models which better emulate human disease, and stratification of human pain phenotypes according to quantitative assessment of signs and symptoms of disease. This can lead to more personalized and effective treatments for individual patients. Significance statement: There is an urgent need to find new treatments for neuropathic pain. Although classical animal models have revealed essential features of pain aetiology such as peripheral and central sensitization and some of the molecular and cellular mechanisms involved, they do not adequately model the multiplicity of disease states or injuries that may bring forth neuropathic pain in the clinic. This review seeks to integrate information from the multiplicity of disciplines that seek to understand neuropathic pain; including immunology, cell biology, electrophysiology and biophysics, anatomy, cell biology, neurology, molecular biology, pharmacology and behavioral science. Beyond this, it underlines ongoing refinements in basic science and clinical practice that will engender improved approaches to pain management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter A. Smith
- Neuroscience and Mental Health Institute and Department of Pharmacology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
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Zebhauser PT, Hohn VD, Ploner M. Resting-state electroencephalography and magnetoencephalography as biomarkers of chronic pain: a systematic review. Pain 2023; 164:1200-1221. [PMID: 36409624 PMCID: PMC10184564 DOI: 10.1097/j.pain.0000000000002825] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2022] [Revised: 10/28/2022] [Accepted: 11/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
ABSTRACT Reliable and objective biomarkers promise to improve the assessment and treatment of chronic pain. Resting-state electroencephalography (EEG) is broadly available, easy to use, and cost efficient and, therefore, appealing as a potential biomarker of chronic pain. However, results of EEG studies are heterogeneous. Therefore, we conducted a systematic review (PROSPERO CRD42021272622) of quantitative resting-state EEG and magnetoencephalography (MEG) studies in adult patients with different types of chronic pain. We excluded populations with severe psychiatric or neurologic comorbidity. Risk of bias was assessed using a modified Newcastle-Ottawa Scale. Semiquantitative data synthesis was conducted using modified albatross plots. We included 76 studies after searching MEDLINE, Web of Science Core Collection, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, and EMBASE. For cross-sectional studies that can serve to develop diagnostic biomarkers, we found higher theta and beta power in patients with chronic pain than in healthy participants. For longitudinal studies, which can yield monitoring and/or predictive biomarkers, we found no clear associations of pain relief with M/EEG measures. Similarly, descriptive studies that can yield diagnostic or monitoring biomarkers showed no clear correlations of pain intensity with M/EEG measures. Risk of bias was high in many studies and domains. Together, this systematic review synthesizes evidence on how resting-state M/EEG might serve as a diagnostic biomarker of chronic pain. Beyond, this review might help to guide future M/EEG studies on the development of pain biomarkers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul Theo Zebhauser
- Department of Neurology, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich (TUM), Munich, Germany
| | - Vanessa D. Hohn
- Department of Neurology, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich (TUM), Munich, Germany
| | - Markus Ploner
- Department of Neurology, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich (TUM), Munich, Germany
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Chowdhury NS, Skippen P, Si E, Chiang AKI, Millard SK, Furman AJ, Chen S, Schabrun SM, Seminowicz DA. The reliability of two prospective cortical biomarkers for pain: EEG peak alpha frequency and TMS corticomotor excitability. J Neurosci Methods 2023; 385:109766. [PMID: 36495945 PMCID: PMC9848447 DOI: 10.1016/j.jneumeth.2022.109766] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2022] [Revised: 11/10/2022] [Accepted: 12/03/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Many pain biomarkers fail to move from discovery to clinical application, attributed to poor reliability and an inability to accurately classify at-risk individuals. Preliminary evidence has shown that high pain sensitivity is associated with slow peak alpha frequency (PAF), and depression of corticomotor excitability (CME), potentially due to impairments in ascending sensory and descending motor pathway signalling respectively NEW METHOD: The present study evaluated the reliability of PAF and CME responses during sustained pain. Specifically, we determined whether, over several days of pain, a) PAF remains stable and b) individuals show two stable and distinct CME responses: facilitation and depression. Participants were given an injection of nerve growth factor (NGF) into the right masseter muscle on Day 0 and Day 2, inducing sustained pain. Electroencephalography (EEG) to assess PAF and transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) to assess CME were recorded on Day 0, Day 2 and Day 5. RESULTS Using a weighted peak estimate, PAF reliability (n = 75) was in the excellent range even without standard pre-processing and ∼2 min recording length. Using a single peak estimate, PAF reliability was in the moderate-good range. For CME (n = 74), 80% of participants showed facilitation or depression of CME beyond an optimal cut-off point, with the stability of these changes in the good range. COMPARISON WITH EXISTING METHODS No study has assessed the reliability of PAF or feasibility of classifying individuals as facilitators/depressors, in response to sustained pain. PAF was reliable even in the presence of pain. The use of a weighted peak estimate for PAF is recommended, as excellent test-retest reliability can be obtained even when using minimal pre-processing and ∼2 min recording. We also showed that 80% of individuals exhibit either facilitation or depression of CME, with these changes being stable across sessions. CONCLUSIONS Our study provides support for the reliability of PAF and CME as prospective cortical biomarkers. As such, our paper adds important methodological advances to the rapidly growing field of pain biomarkers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nahian S Chowdhury
- Center for Pain IMPACT, Neuroscience Research Australia, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia; University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
| | - Patrick Skippen
- Center for Pain IMPACT, Neuroscience Research Australia, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Emily Si
- Center for Pain IMPACT, Neuroscience Research Australia, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Alan K I Chiang
- Center for Pain IMPACT, Neuroscience Research Australia, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia; University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Samantha K Millard
- Center for Pain IMPACT, Neuroscience Research Australia, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia; University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Andrew J Furman
- Department of Neural and Pain Sciences, University of Maryland School of Dentistry, Baltimore, USA; Center to Advance Chronic Pain Research, University of Maryland Baltimore, USA
| | - Shuo Chen
- Department of Neural and Pain Sciences, University of Maryland School of Dentistry, Baltimore, USA; Center to Advance Chronic Pain Research, University of Maryland Baltimore, USA
| | - Siobhan M Schabrun
- Center for Pain IMPACT, Neuroscience Research Australia, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia; School of Physical Therapy, University of Western Ontario, London, Canada
| | - David A Seminowicz
- Center for Pain IMPACT, Neuroscience Research Australia, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia; Department of Neural and Pain Sciences, University of Maryland School of Dentistry, Baltimore, USA; Center to Advance Chronic Pain Research, University of Maryland Baltimore, USA; Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Western Ontario, London, Canada
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10
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Fauchon C, Kim JA, El-Sayed R, Osborne NR, Rogachov A, Cheng JC, Hemington KS, Bosma RL, Dunkley BT, Oh J, Bhatia A, Inman RD, Davis KD. A Hidden Markov Model reveals magnetoencephalography spectral frequency-specific abnormalities of brain state power and phase-coupling in neuropathic pain. Commun Biol 2022; 5:1000. [PMID: 36131088 PMCID: PMC9492713 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-022-03967-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2022] [Accepted: 09/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Neuronal populations in the brain are engaged in a temporally coordinated manner at rest. Here we show that spontaneous transitions between large-scale resting-state networks are altered in chronic neuropathic pain. We applied an approach based on the Hidden Markov Model to magnetoencephalography data to describe how the brain moves from one activity state to another. This identified 12 fast transient (~80 ms) brain states including the sensorimotor, ascending nociceptive pathway, salience, visual, and default mode networks. Compared to healthy controls, we found that people with neuropathic pain exhibited abnormal alpha power in the right ascending nociceptive pathway state, but higher power and coherence in the sensorimotor network state in the beta band, and shorter time intervals between visits of the sensorimotor network, indicating more active time in this state. Conversely, the neuropathic pain group showed lower coherence and spent less time in the frontal attentional state. Therefore, this study reveals a temporal imbalance and dysregulation of spectral frequency-specific brain microstates in patients with neuropathic pain. These findings can potentially impact the development of a mechanism-based therapeutic approach by identifying brain targets to stimulate using neuromodulation to modify abnormal activity and to restore effective neuronal synchrony between brain states.
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Affiliation(s)
- Camille Fauchon
- Division of Brain, Imaging, and Behaviour, Krembil Brain Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, M5T 2S8, Canada
| | - Junseok A Kim
- Division of Brain, Imaging, and Behaviour, Krembil Brain Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, M5T 2S8, Canada.,Institute of Medical Science, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, M5S 1A8, Canada
| | - Rima El-Sayed
- Division of Brain, Imaging, and Behaviour, Krembil Brain Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, M5T 2S8, Canada.,Institute of Medical Science, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, M5S 1A8, Canada
| | - Natalie R Osborne
- Division of Brain, Imaging, and Behaviour, Krembil Brain Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, M5T 2S8, Canada.,Institute of Medical Science, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, M5S 1A8, Canada
| | - Anton Rogachov
- Division of Brain, Imaging, and Behaviour, Krembil Brain Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, M5T 2S8, Canada.,Institute of Medical Science, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, M5S 1A8, Canada
| | - Joshua C Cheng
- Division of Brain, Imaging, and Behaviour, Krembil Brain Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, M5T 2S8, Canada.,Institute of Medical Science, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, M5S 1A8, Canada
| | - Kasey S Hemington
- Division of Brain, Imaging, and Behaviour, Krembil Brain Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, M5T 2S8, Canada.,Institute of Medical Science, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, M5S 1A8, Canada
| | - Rachael L Bosma
- Division of Brain, Imaging, and Behaviour, Krembil Brain Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, M5T 2S8, Canada
| | - Benjamin T Dunkley
- Neurosciences & Mental Health Program, The Hospital for Sick Children Research Institute, Toronto, ON, M5G 0A4, Canada.,Diagnostic Imaging, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, M5G 0A4, Canada.,Department of Medical Imaging, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, M5T 1W7, Canada
| | - Jiwon Oh
- Div of Neurology, Dept of Medicine, St. Michael's Hospital, Toronto, ON, M5B 1W8, Canada
| | - Anuj Bhatia
- Division of Brain, Imaging, and Behaviour, Krembil Brain Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, M5T 2S8, Canada.,Department of Anesthesia and Pain Medicine, Toronto Western Hospital, and University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, M5T 2S8, Canada
| | - Robert D Inman
- Institute of Medical Science, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, M5S 1A8, Canada.,Division of Immunology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, M5S 1A8, Canada
| | - Karen Deborah Davis
- Division of Brain, Imaging, and Behaviour, Krembil Brain Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, M5T 2S8, Canada. .,Institute of Medical Science, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, M5S 1A8, Canada. .,Department of Surgery, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, M5T 1P5, Canada.
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11
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Mazaheri A, Seminowicz DA, Furman AJ. Peak alpha frequency as a candidate biomarker of pain sensitivity: the importance of distinguishing slow from slowing. Neuroimage 2022; 262:119560. [PMID: 35973563 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2022.119560] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2022] [Revised: 07/27/2022] [Accepted: 08/11/2022] [Indexed: 10/31/2022] Open
Abstract
The study by Valentini et al. (2022) observed that the peak alpha frequency (PAF) of participants became slower after they were exposed to painful, as well as non-painful but unpleasant stimuli. The authors interpreted this as a challenge to our previous studies which propose that the speed of resting PAF, independently of pain-induced changes to PAF, can be a reliable biomarker marker for gaging individual pain sensitivity. While investigations into the role that PAF plays in pain perception are timely, we have some concerns about the assumptions and methodology employed by Valentini et al. Moreover, we believe the authors here have also misrepresented some of our previous work. In the current commentary, we detail the critical differences between our respective studies, with the ultimate aim of guiding future investigations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ali Mazaheri
- School of Psychology, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK; Centre for Human Brain Health (CHBH), University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK.
| | - David A Seminowicz
- Department of Medical Biophysics, Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada
| | - Andrew J Furman
- Department of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA; Center to Advance Chronic Pain Research, University of Maryland Baltimore, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA
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12
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Mussigmann T, Bardel B, Lefaucheur JP. Resting-state electroencephalography (EEG) biomarkers of chronic neuropathic pain. A systematic review. Neuroimage 2022; 258:119351. [PMID: 35659993 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2022.119351] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2022] [Revised: 05/09/2022] [Accepted: 05/31/2022] [Indexed: 10/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Diagnosis and management of chronic neuropathic pain are challenging, leading to current efforts to characterize 'objective' biomarkers of pain using imaging or neurophysiological techniques, such as electroencephalography (EEG). A systematic literature review was conducted in PubMed-Medline and Web-of-Science until October 2021 to identify EEG biomarkers of chronic neuropathic pain in humans. The risk of bias was assessed by the Newcastle-Ottawa-Scale. Experimental, provoked, or chronic non-neuropathic pain studies were excluded. We identified 14 studies, in which resting-state EEG spectral analysis was compared between patients with pain related to a neurological disease and patients with the same disease but without pain or healthy controls. From these heterogeneous exploratory studies, some conclusions can be drawn, even if they must be weighted by the fact that confounding factors, such as medication and association with anxio-depressive disorders, are generally not taken into account. Overall, EEG signal power was increased in the θ band (4-7Hz) and possibly in the high-β band (20-30Hz), but decreased in the high-α-low-β band (10-20Hz) in the presence of ongoing neuropathic pain, while increased γ band oscillations were not evidenced, unlike in experimental pain. Consequently, the dominant peak frequency was decreased in the θ-α band and increased in the whole-β band in neuropathic pain patients. Disappointingly, pain intensity correlated with various EEG changes across studies, with no consistent trend. This review also discusses the location of regional pain-related EEG changes in the pain connectome, as the perspectives offered by advanced techniques of EEG signal analysis (source location, connectivity, or classification methods based on artificial intelligence). The biomarkers provided by resting-state EEG are of particular interest for optimizing the treatment of chronic neuropathic pain by neuromodulation techniques, such as transcranial alternating current stimulation or neurofeedback procedures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thibaut Mussigmann
- Univ Paris Est Creteil, EA4391, ENT, Créteil, France; Clinical Neurophysiology Unit, Henri Mondor Hospital, AP-HP, Créteil, France
| | - Benjamin Bardel
- Univ Paris Est Creteil, EA4391, ENT, Créteil, France; Clinical Neurophysiology Unit, Henri Mondor Hospital, AP-HP, Créteil, France
| | - Jean-Pascal Lefaucheur
- Univ Paris Est Creteil, EA4391, ENT, Créteil, France; Clinical Neurophysiology Unit, Henri Mondor Hospital, AP-HP, Créteil, France.
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