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Clinical Trial Summary

Pain is closely linked to alpha oscillations (8 -13 Hz) which are thought to represent a supra-modal, top-down mediated gating mechanism that shapes sensory processing. Consequently, alpha oscillations might also shape the cerebral processing of nociceptive input and eventually the perception of pain. To test this mechanistic hypothesis, the investigators designed a sham-controlled and double-blind electroencephalography (EEG)-based neurofeedback study. In a short-term neurofeedback training protocol, healthy participants will learn to up- and downregulate somatosensory alpha oscillations using attention. Subsequently, the investigators will investigate how this manipulation impacts experimental pain applied during neurofeedback. Using Bayesian statistics and mediation analysis, the investigators will test whether alpha oscillations mediate attention effects on pain perception. This approach promises causal insights into the role of alpha oscillations in shaping pain, and thereby extends previous correlative evidence. Beyond, it can aid the development of novel, non-invasive modulatory treatment approaches for chronic pain, which are urgently needed. The prosed study protocol has been granted in-principle acceptance from PLOS Biology and the corresponding registration can be found at the OSF online repository [www.osf.io/qbkj2].


Clinical Trial Description

n/a


Study Design


Related Conditions & MeSH terms

  • Experimental Pain in Healthy Human Subjects

NCT number NCT05570695
Study type Interventional
Source Technical University of Munich
Contact Markus Ploner, Prof. Dr. med.
Phone +49-89-4140-4608
Email markus.ploner@tum.de
Status Recruiting
Phase N/A
Start date October 2022
Completion date December 2023

See also
  Status Clinical Trial Phase
Completed NCT05616091 - Intra- and Inter-individual Differences of Pain N/A
Completed NCT03805854 - Modulating Pain Using Transcranial Alternating Stimulation (tACS) in Healthy Human Subjects N/A