Restoring brain rhythms to help chronic low back pain
Spatiotemporal Alterations of Thalamocortical Circuitry Functioning Underlie Pain
This work uses brain scans and gentle electrical stimulation to try to normalize brain rhythms in people with chronic low back pain and in controlled pain experiments.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Massachusetts General Hospital NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Boston, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11295479 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
You would have combined brain recordings that show both where and when abnormal activity occurs (EEG, MEG, and fMRI) and take part in short sessions of painless targeted electrical stimulation (alpha-frequency tACS). The team will compare results from people with chronic low back pain and from controlled experimental pain to find shared brain-circuit changes. Some visits are double-blind and crossover, so each participant may receive active and control stimulation at different times without knowing which is which. The goal is to see whether restoring alpha brain rhythms leads to clearer circuit function and less pain.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Adults with chronic low back pain and healthy volunteers willing to participate in brief experimental pain sessions may be eligible.
Not a fit: People with pain unrelated to the low back, those with certain implanted electronic devices, seizure disorders, or who cannot undergo MRI or electrical stimulation are unlikely to benefit or be eligible.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could lead to a noninvasive brain-based treatment that reduces pain by restoring normal thalamocortical circuitry.
How similar studies have performed: Prior small studies have shown that modulating alpha rhythms can change pain perception, but combining simultaneous EEG/MEG/fMRI with causal tACS stimulation in clinical low back pain is a novel approach.
Where this research is happening
Boston, United States
- Massachusetts General Hospital — Boston, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Kong, Jian — Massachusetts General Hospital
- Study coordinator: Kong, Jian
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.