Research progress on changes in EEG time-frequency signals in patients with chronic pain

doi:10.11958/20241120

Abstract

Abstract:

Chronic pain is a subjective experience that is difficult to accurately and objectively assess. Electroencephalography (EEG) can record physiological electrical signals generated during brain activity, and time signals reflect brain activity during task processing. The frequency signals reflect quiet brain activity. This paper reviews changes of event-related potential in EEG time signal, changes of different frequency bands in frequency signal and changes of event-related synchronization or desynchronization between the two signals in patients with chronic pain.

Key words: chronic pain, electroencephalography, event-related potentials, brain waves

CLC Number:

R441.1

Figures/Tables 1

References 42

[1]	赵彩红, 刘华波. 慢性疼痛患者的焦虑、抑郁、睡眠质量及生活质量情况[J]. 现代实用医学, 2022, 34(3):404-406.
	ZHAO C H, LIU H B. Anxiety,depression,sleep quality and quality of life in chronic pain patients[J]. Modern Practical Medicine, 2022, 34(3):404-406. doi:10.3969/j.issn.1671-0800.2022.03.057.
[2]	YAO D, CHEN Y, CHEN G. The role of pain modulation pathway and related brain regions in pain[J]. Rev Neurosci, 2023, 34(8):899-914. doi:10.1515/revneuro-2023-0037.
[3]	计昱岐, 周福庆. 慢性疼痛病人动态疼痛连接组的功能MRI研究进展[J]. 中国疼痛医学杂志, 2023, 29(1):38-43.
	JI Y Q, ZHOU F Q. Progress of functional MRI study on dynamic pain connectome in chronic pain patients[J]. Chinese Journal of Pain Medicine, 2023, 29(1):38-43. doi:10.3969/j.issn.1006-9852.2023.01.008.
[4]	魏高峡, 盖力锟, 林萱. 运动认知神经科学研究(2012-2022):10年回顾与未来展望[J]. 科学通报, 2024, 69:3492-3514.
	WEI G X, GAI L K, LIN X. A decade of progress in sports and exercise neuroscience from 2012 to 2022:a review and perspectives[J]. Chin Sci Bull, 2024, 69:3492-3514. doi:10.1360/TB-2024-0034.
[5]	LENOIR D, WILLAERT W, COPPIETERS I, et al. Electroencephalography during nociceptive stimulation in chronic pain patients:a systematic review[J]. Pain Med, 2020, 21(12):3413-3427. doi:10.1093/pm/pnaa131.
[6]	SCHOUPPE S, VAN OOSTERWIJCK S, DANNEELS L, et al. Are functional brain alterations present in low back pain? a systematic review of EEG studies[J]. J Pain, 2020, 21(1/2):25-43. doi:10.1016/j.jpain.2019.06.010.
[7]	GOUDMAN L, DAENEN L, MOURAUX A, et al. Processing of laser-evoked potentials in patients with chronic whiplash-associated disorders, chronic fatigue syndrome, and healthy controls: a case-control study[J]. Pain Med, 2020, 21(10):2553-2563. doi:10.1093/pm/pnaa068.
[8]	FISCHER-JBALI L R, MONTORO C I, MONTOYA P, et al. Central nervous activity during implicit processing of emotional face expressions in fibromyalgia syndrome[J]. Brain Res, 2021, 1758:147333. doi:10.1016/j.brainres.2021.147333.
[9]	FISCHER-JBALI L R, MONTORO C I, MONTOYA P, et al. Central nervous activity during an emotional stroop task in fibromyalgia syndrome[J]. Int J Psychophysiol, 2022, 177:133-144. doi:10.1016/j.ijpsycho.2022.05.009.
[10]	FISCHER-JBALI L R, MONTORO C I, MONTOYA P, et al. Central nervous activity during a dot probe task with facial expressions in fibromyalgia[J]. Biol Psychol, 2022, 172:108361. doi:10.1016/j.biopsycho.2022.108361.
[11]	FISCHER-JBALI L R, ALACREU A, GALVEZ-SáNCHEZ C M, et al. Measurement of event-related potentials from electroencephalography to evaluate emotional processing in fibromyalgia syndrome: a systematic review and meta-analysis[J]. Int J Psychophysiol, 2024, 198:112327. doi:10.1016/j.ijpsycho.2024.112327.
[12]	CARDOSO S, FERNANDES C, BARBOSA F. Attentional deficits in fibromyalgia:an ERP study with the oddball dual task and emotional stroop task[J]. BMC Psychol, 2024, 12(1):104. doi:10.1186/s40359-024-01601-3.
[13]	LIU M, GU H, HU J, et al. Higher cortical excitability to negative emotions involved in musculoskeletal pain in Parkinson's disease[J]. Neurophysiol Clin, 2024, 54(1):102936. doi:10.1016/j.neucli.2023.102936.
[14]	WANG Y, LIU Y, GOZLI D, et al. The N2pc component as a neural index of early attention allocation among adults with chronic musculoskeletal pain[J]. Eur J Pain, 2020, 24(7):1368-1376. doi:10.1002/ejp.1584.
[15]	朱文欣, 范磊, 朱明跃, 等. 经颅交流电刺激治疗认知障碍的作用参数及机制的研究进展[J]. 临床神经病学杂志, 2024, 37(4):311-314.
	ZHU W X, FAN L, ZHU M Y, et al. Research progress on the action parameters and mechanism of transcranial alternating current stimulation in the treatment of cognitive impairment[J]. Journal of Clinical Neurology, 2024, 37(4):311-314.
[16]	LI Y D, GE J, LUO Y J, et al. High cortical delta power correlates with aggravated allodynia by activating anterior cingulate cortex GABAergic neurons in neuropathic pain mice[J]. Pain, 2020, 161(2):288-299. doi:10.1097/j.pain.0000000000001725.
[17]	LARIE M S, ESFANDIARPOUR F, RIAHI F, et al. Brain wave patterns in patients with chronic low back pain:a case-control study[J]. Basic Clin Neurosci, 2023, 14(2):225-235. doi:10.32598/bcn.2021.2398.1.
[18]	LOPES T S, SANTANA J E, SILVA W S, et al. Increased delta and theta power density in sickle cell disease individuals with chronic pain secondary to hip osteonecrosis:a resting-state EEG study[J]. Brain Topogr, 2024, 37(5):859-873. doi:10.1007/s10548-023-01027-x.
[19]	DE BLASIO F M, LOVE S, BARRY R J, et al. Frontocentral delta-beta amplitude coupling in endometriosis-related chronic pelvic pain[J]. Clin Neurophysiol, 2023, 149:146-156. doi:10.1016/j.clinph.2023.02.173.
[20]	OCAY D D, TEEL E F, LUO O D, et al. Electroencephalographic characteristics of children and adolescents with chronic musculoskeletal pain[J]. Pain Rep, 2022, 7(6):e1054. doi:10.1097/PR9.0000000000001054.
[21]	BUCHANAN D M, ROS T, NAHAS R. Elevated and slowed EEG oscillations in patients with post-concussive syndrome and chronic pain following a motor vehicle collision[J]. Brain Sci, 2021, 11(5):537. doi:10.3390/brainsci11050537.
[22]	BAGHERI Z, KHOSROWABADI R, HATAMI J, et al. Differential cortical oscillatory patterns in amputees with and without phantom limb pain[J]. Basic Clin Neurosci, 2023, 14(2):171-184. doi:10.32598/bcn.2021.261.1.
[23]	VANNESTE S, DE RIDDER D. Chronic pain as a brain imbalance between pain input and pain suppression[J]. Brain Commun, 2021, 3(1):fcab014. doi:10.1093/braincomms/fcab014.
[24]	TEIXEIRA P, PACHECO-BARRIOS K, UYGUR-KUCUKSEYMEN E, et al. Electroencephalography signatures for conditioned pain modulation and pain perception in nonspecific chronic low back pain-an exploratory study[J]. Pain Med, 2022, 23(3):558-570. doi:10.1093/pm/pnab293.
[25]	FENG L, LI H, CUI H, et al. Low back pain assessment based on alpha oscillation changes in spontaneous electroencephalogram (EEG)[J]. Neural Plast, 2021, 2021:8537437. doi:10.1155/2021/8537437.
[26]	UYGUR-KUCUKSEYMEN E, CASTELO-BRANCO L, PACHECO-BARRIOS K, et al. Decreased neural inhibitory state in fibromyalgia pain:a cross-sectional study[J]. Neurophysiol Clin, 2020, 50(4):279-288. doi:10.1016/j.neucli.2020.06.002.
[27]	BERNARDI L, BERTUCCELLI M, FORMAGGIO E, et al. Beyond physiotherapy and pharmacological treatment for fibromyalgia syndrome: tailored tACS as a new therapeutic tool[J]. Eur Arch Psychiatry Clin Neurosci, 2021, 271(1):199-210. doi:10.1007/s00406-020-01214-y.
[28]	DE MELO G A, DE OLIVEIRA E A, DOS SANTOS ANDRADE S, et al. Comparison of two tDCS protocols on pain and EEG alpha-2 oscillations in women with fibromyalgia[J]. Sci Rep, 2020, 10(1):18955. doi:10.1038/s41598-020-75861-5.
[29]	BAGHERZADEH Y, BALDAUF D, PANTAZIS D, et al. Alpha synchrony and the neurofeedback control of spatial attention[J]. Neuron, 2020, 5, 105(3):577-587.e5. doi:10.1016/j.neuron.2019.11.001.
[30]	DAY M A, MATTHEWS N, MATTINGLEY J B, et al. Change in brain oscillations as a mechanism of mindfulness-meditation, cognitive therapy,and mindfulness-based cognitive therapy for chronic low back pain[J]. Pain Med, 2021, 22(8):1804-1813. doi:10.1093/pm/pnab049.
[31]	KESEBIR S, YOSMAOGLU A, TARHAN N. A dimensional approach to affective disorder: the relations between Scl-90 subdimensions and QEEG parameters[J]. Front Psychiatry, 2022, 13:651008. doi:10.3389/fpsyt.2022.651008.
[32]	TEIXEIRA M, MANCINI C, WICHT C A, et al. Beta electroencephalographic oscillation is a potential GABAergic biomarker of chronic peripheral neuropathic pain[J]. Front Neurosci, 2021, 15:594536. doi:10.3389/fnins.2021.594536.
[33]	PARKER T, RAGHU A, HUANG Y, et al. Paired acute invasive/non-invasive stimulation (PAINS) study:a phase I/II randomized, sham-controlled crossover trial in chronic neuropathic pain[J]. Brain Stimul, 2021, 14(6):1576-1585. doi:10.1016/j.brs.2021.10.384.
[34]	BARONI A, SEVERINI G, STRAUDI S, et al. Hyperalgesia and central sensitization in subjects with chronic orofacial pain: analysis of pain thresholds and EEG biomarkers[J]. Front Neurosci, 2020, 14:552650. doi:10.3389/fnins.2020.552650.
[35]	MORGALLA M H, ZHANG Y, CHANDER B S. Dorsal root ganglion stimulation relieves chronic neuropathic pain along with a decrease in cortical γ power[J]. Neuromodulation, 2024, 27(5):923-929. doi:10.1016/j.neurom.2024.02.001.
[36]	MIGNOT C, FARIA V, HUMMEL T, et al. Migraine with aura:less control over pain and fragrances?[J]. J Headache Pain, 2023, 24(1):55. doi:10.1186/s10194-023-01592-3.
[37]	VILÀ-BALLÓ A, MARTI-MARCA A, TORRES-FERRÚS M, et al. Neurophysiological correlates of abnormal auditory processing in episodic migraine during the interictal period[J]. Cephalalgia, 2021, 41(1):45-57. doi:10.1177/0333102420951509.
[38]	LEVITT J, EDHI M M, THORPE R V, et al. Pain phenotypes classified by machine learning using electroencephalography features[J]. Neuroimage, 2020, 223:117256. doi:10.1016/j.neuroimage.2020.117256.
[39]	MARQUES L M, BARBOSA S P, PACHECO-BARRIOS K, et al. Motor event-related synchronization as an inhibitory biomarker of pain severity,sensitivity, and chronicity in patients with knee osteoarthritis[J]. Neurophysiol Clin, 2022, 52(6):413-426. doi:10.1016/j.neucli.2022.09.006.
[40]	CAMARGO L, PACHECO-BARRIOS K, MARQUES L M, et al. Adaptive and compensatory neural signatures in fibromyalgia:an analysis of resting-state and stimulus-evoked EEG oscillations[J]. Biomedicines, 2024, 12(7):1428. doi:10.3390/biomedicines12071428.
[41]	HEWITT D, BYRNE A, HENDERSON J, et al. Pulse intensity effects of burst and tonic spinal cord stimulation on neural responses to brushing in patients with neuropathic pain[J]. Neuromodulation, 2023, 26(5):975-987. doi:10.1016/j.neurom.2022.11.001.
[42]	LIU S, FU W, WEI C, et al. Interference of unilateral lower limb amputation on motor imagery rhythm and remodeling of sensorimotor areas[J]. Front Hum Neurosci, 2022, 16:1011463. doi:10.3389/fnhum.2022.1011463.

频段	频率范围/Hz	变化情况
δ	0.5~3.5	总体表现为活跃状态
θ	4~7	总体表现为活跃状态，且集中在大脑额区、中央区
α	8~13	具体变化结论不一致，但大多表现为减弱状态
β	14~30	总体表现为活跃状态，主要集中在额区、中央区，变化表现与疼痛强度有关
γ	>30	表现为活跃状态

频段	频率范围/Hz	变化情况
δ	0.5~3.5	总体表现为活跃状态
θ	4~7	总体表现为活跃状态，且集中在大脑额区、中央区
α	8~13	具体变化结论不一致，但大多表现为减弱状态
β	14~30	总体表现为活跃状态，主要集中在额区、中央区，变化表现与疼痛强度有关
γ	>30	表现为活跃状态