Neurofeedback as a treatment to reduce pain and improve function in adolescents with chronic back pain

Identifier:  TDX:4444

Handle: https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11797/TDX4444

Authors:  Roy Brusi, Rubén

Abstract:
Chronic back pain is a prevalent condition that can negatively affect the wellbeing of adolescents. Previous studies have suggested the possibility that the already high prevalence of this condition might have been increasing over the last decades. Treatment recommendations for this population do not always provide adequate relief and stem from suboptimal-quality evidence. As the brain is one of the key components in the processing of pain, neurofeedback, an intervention that has been found useful to manage pain and pain-related outcomes in adults, might be an option to consider as a treatment for adolescents with chronic back pain. This thesis includes three studies: (1) a secondary data analysis study to examine the trends in the prevalence of chronic back pain in adolescents (Study I), (2) a systematic review on the use of neurofeedback for managing chronic pain (Study II), and (3) a protocol study for a single-blind sham-controlled randomized pilot feasibility trial, designed to test the effects of two neurofeedback protocols as a treatment for adolescents with chronic back pain (Study III). The key conclusions that can be drawn from this dissertation are the following: 1. The prevalence of chronic back pain in adolescents has significantly increased over the last two decades, especially in older girls. In light of this, increased efforts in terms of prevention and treatment for this population are warranted. 2. Despite the fact that higher research quality is needed, neurofeedback has the potential to help decrease pain and improve function in individuals with chronic pain. 3. The results of the pilot study will provide preliminary data on the effects of neurofeedback as a treatment for adolescents with chronic back pain, and might warrant a fully powered Randomized Controlled Trial and further research into the effects of neurofeedback for other pain problems in children and adolescents.