An interventional study of Neurofeedback and Sham (Placebo Control) in Chronic Low Back Pain, sponsored by Duke University. Recruiting at 1 site in United States. Open to participants aged 18 Years to 90 Years, including healthy volunteers. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2025-12-17.
Sponsored by Duke University · Not applicable, Interventional, and Treatment
The purpose of this study is to learn more about improving the quality of treatments for people who have chronic low back pain. Participants will complete interviews with Duke researchers at four different time points: the beginning of the study, at 3 months, at 6 months, and at 9 months. Participants will be asked to use a mobile app and a headset that are designed to train the brain to be more relaxed. Participants will use the mobile app for 10 minutes at a time, four times a week for three months. The study team will also check in with participants about app use six times throughout the study, via phone or video conference.
This is a double-blind randomized controlled trial to test effects of mHealth mobile neurofeedback on the outcomes of pain, enrolling 150 adult participants (18 years of age or older) with chronic low backpain. Participants will be scheduled for a baseline interview at Dr. Elbogen's research office at Duke after a preliminary telephone screen. After providing informed consent, participants will complete an eligibility assessment, a physical function test, self-report questionnaire on pain interference including clinical interviews for health outcomes of pain; self-report questionnaire on pain interference, pain self-efficacy, drug and alcohol use, opioid use, drug/alcohol use; a physical function test; and an EEG. Participants will be be randomly assigned to either an experimental (mobile neurofeedback) or placebo-control (sham neurofeedback) group. All participants will receive a portable Muse EEG headset and an iPod Touch with a mobile app named 'Mobile Neurofeedback' and be asked to complete 10-minute sessions at least 4 days per week for 12 weeks. Participants will be asked to report their current level of pain, stress, and anger before and after each session. The experimental condition involves a mobile app that provides auditory feedback signaling EEG alpha power above a threshold level, denoting a physiologically relaxed state. The control condition involves a visually identical mobile app yoked to a pre-recorded set of actual neurofeedback sessions (i.e., placebo). Study coordinators will conduct 6 check in calls in the intervening period, the study team will to reinforce training, troubleshoot technical problems, and assess any risk/safety issues (weeks 1,3,5,7,9, and 11). Follow-up data will be collected upon completion of the intervention at 12 weeks, 24 weeks and 36 weeks. During all follow-up visits, participants will complete self-report questionnaires, a physical function test, and an EEG. Data will be collected at baseline, 3, 6, and 9 months.
2,219 studies on the registry are indexed under Pain; 917 are open to participants now.
This study's planned enrollment of 150 is above the median of 70 across 1,904 interventional studies indexed under Pain.
Browse Pain studies →Duke University is the lead sponsor of 2,025 studies on the registry; 275 are open to participants now.
Of its 194 completed or terminated interventional studies of FDA-regulated products, 159 (82%) have results posted.
Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.
Investigators will follow recommendations to items and responses provided by the NIH Task Force on Research Standards for Chronic Low Back Pain, which specifically: "recommended 2 questions to achieve the definition of chronic low back pain: (1) How long has back pain been an ongoing problem for you? (2) How often has low back pain been an ongoing problem for you over the past 6 months? A response of greater than 3 months to question 1 and a response of 'at least half the days in the past 6 months' to question 2 would define chronic lower back pain."
Exclusion Criteria:
Mobile Neurofeedback intervention arm
Device: Neurofeedback
Sham-control arm
Device: Sham (Placebo Control)
Participants will be asked to complete 10-minute sessions at least 4 days per week for 12 weeks. Participants will be asked to report their current level of pain, stress, and anger before and after each session. The experimental condition involves a mobile app that provides auditory feedback signaling EEG alpha power above a threshold level, denoting a physiologically relaxed state.
Participants will be asked to complete 10-minute sessions at least 4 days per week for 12 weeks. Participants will be asked to report their current level of pain, stress, and anger before and after each session. The control condition involves a visually identical mobile app yoked to a pre-recorded set of actual neurofeedback sessions (i.e., placebo).
Change in pain intensity
Low back pain intensity on a 0-10 point rating scale, where higher scores indicate greater pain intensity.
Time frame: Months 3, 6, and 9
Change in pain interference as measured by PROMIS (Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System)
A higher PROMIS T-score indicates greater pain interference. The minimum score is 8 and the maximum score is 40.
Time frame: Months 3, 6, and 9
Change in physical function as measured by speed on the 50-foot walk test
Participant is timed by how long it takes for them to walk 50 feet.
Time frame: Months 3, 6, and 9
Change in alpha brainwave (8 - 13 Hz) power as measured by EEG (electroencephalography)
An EEG can identify and measure the electrical activity in the brain. Higher EEG alpha brainwave power indicates a greater state of relaxation.
Time frame: Months 3, 6, and 9
Plan to share: No
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