Neurofeedback Reduces Pain, Increases Quality of Life for Cancer Patients Suffering From Chemotherapy-Induced Neuropathy
A new study from The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center evaluating the use of neurofeedback found a decrease in the experience of chronic pain and an increase in quality of life among patients with neuropathic pain. The study was presented at the annual meeting of the American Psychosomatic Society (Abstract 1567), held March 9–12 in Denver.
Lead investigator Sarah Prinsloo, PhD, Assistant Professor of Palliative, Rehabilitation, and Integrative Medicine at MD Anderson, identified the location of brain activity that contributes to the physical and emotional aspects of chronic pain, which allowed patients to modify their own brain activity through electroencephalogram (EEG) biofeedback.
Chronic peripheral neuropathy is a common side effect of chemotherapy, often affecting 71% to 96% of patients after 1 month of chemotherapy treatment. This study demonstrated that neurofeedback induces neuroplasticity to modulate brain activity and improve symptoms of chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy.
Key Findings
The study enrolled 71 MD Anderson patients of all cancer types; all were at least 3 months postchemotherapy and reported more than a 3 on the National Cancer Institute’s neuropathy rating scale. Study participants completed assessments that determined the brain activity related to their pain, pain perception, and quality of life. They were then randomly assigned to receive neurofeedback or to a control group that did not receive treatment.
Patients in the neurofeedback group attended 20 sessions of neurofeedback training where they played a computer game that rewarded them when they modified their brainwave activity in the affected area. They then learned to modify the activity without an immediate reward from the game.
After treatment was completed, the participants repeated the EEG and assessments to determine changes in pain perception, cancer-related symptoms, and general quality of life. EEG patterns showed cortical activity characterized by increased activation in the parietal and frontal sites compared to a normal population. After controlling for baseline levels, neurofeedback significantly reduced pain, numbness, intensity, and unpleasantness of chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy symptoms, and reduced how much pain interfered with daily activities.
After treatment, 73% saw improvement in their pain and quality of life. Patients with chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy also exhibited specific and predictable EEG signatures that changed with neurofeedback.
Study Implications
According to Dr. Prinsloo, the study results are clinically and statistically significant and provide valuable information that will allow for more understanding of neuropathic pain. A second study was recently funded and will focus exclusively on breast cancer patients experiencing neuropathy.
“Chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy is very common in cancer patients, and there is currently only one medication approved to treat it. I’m encouraged to see the significant improvements in patient’s quality of life after treatment. This treatment is customized to the individual and is relatively inexpensive, noninvasive, and nonaddictive,” Dr. Prinsloo said.
The content in this post has not been reviewed by the American Society of Clinical Oncology, Inc. (ASCO®) and does not necessarily reflect the ideas and opinions of ASCO®.
