Chronic pain and the brain: Searching for EEG biomarkers

This dissertation investigated the role of the brain in chronic pain by studying brain activity of 4 groups: pain-free participants, participants who develop chronic pain, participants who become pain-free, and participants with persistent pain. The brain activity was measured both at rest and during the application of repeated painful stimuli. In resting state, the development of chronic pain appeared to be associated with a decrease in lower frequency bands and an increase in higher frequency bands, while recovery from chronic pain showed the reversed pattern. When receiving painful stimuli, a decrease in habituation was observed in subjects who develop chronic pain. Additionally, it was explored whether EEG neurofeedback could be an effective treatment to reduce chronic pain symptoms. Although this treatment option seemed promising, more research is needed to develop even better-supported training protocols.
Overall, this thesis contributed to a better understanding of the underlying mechanisms of chronic pain and provided potential leads for optimalisation of neurofeedback treatment for chronic pain.