721: Pain-related cortical oscillatory changes modulated by repetitive spinal magnetic stimulation

Topic: Experimental (Non-clinical) Human Studies
Subtopic: Non -specific to any diagnosis, Electrophysiology/Clinical neurophysiology (e.g. microneurography, EEG, MEG, OPMs, TMS), Pain models (e.g. saline injection, capsaicin, UVB, HFS, incision, exercise, itch), Neuromodulation (e.g. rTMS, tDCS, FUS, DBS, biofeedback)

Background and Aims: Spinal cord stimulation has previously shown to mitigate pain (1,2), but the analgesic potential of non-invasive repetitive spinal magnetic stimulation (rsMS) remains under investigated (3). Experimental pain is associated with sensorimotor alpha power attenuation in electroencephalographic (EEG) recordings (4). In this protocol, rsMS is hypothesized to decrease experimental pain and effect pain-related cortical power attenuation by rsMS. This study aims to compare the effects of active and sham cervical rsMS on EEG oscillatory activity and pain ratings during experimentally induced pain in healthy participants.

Methods: In this randomized-controlled crossover trial (n=30), each two-hour session contains 30-s experimental pain conditions induced with a pressure cuff at the lower leg accompanied by visual analogue scale (VAS) pain ratings and a 64-channel EEG recording, alongside pain-related questionnaires. Experimental pain is repeated once before and after 10-min rsMS (10 Hz, 10s-train, 50s-break) applied to C7 and T1, alongside quantitative sensory testing, and five-minute resting state EEG. Sensorimotor alpha (8-12 Hz) power during experimental pain are analyzed concerning inhibiting effects of rsMS (before vs. after, sham vs. active) and concerning correlations with concurrent VAS ratings.

Results: Findings will be analyzed after data acquisition is completed and will be presented at the conference.
Relative to sham rsMS, active rsMS is expected to attenuate experimental pain and increase the associated alpha suppression in cortical oscillatory dynamics Specifically, in active versus sham, increased sensorimotor alpha power and reduced parietal gamma power, is expected.

Conclusions: This study will advance our understanding of the analgesic potential of non-invasive repetitive spinal magnetic stimulation. By linking rsMS-induced pain modulation to specific cortical oscillatory signatures, the results may inform the development of non-invasive neuromodulation strategies for pain management. Especially personalized treatment based on cortical oscillations could be explored further with the present study.

References: 1) Cohen SP, Vase L, Hooten WM. Chronic pain: an update on burden, best practices, and new advances. Lancet. 2021;397(10289):2082-2097. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(21)00393-7
2) Eckermann JM, Pilitsis JG, Vannaboutathong C, Wagner BJ, Province-Azalde R, Bendel MA. Systematic Literature Review of Spinal Cord Stimulation in Patients With Chronic Back Pain Without Prior Spine Surgery. Neuromodulation. 2022;25(5):648-656. doi:10.1111/ner.13519
3) Lapa JDDS, da Cunha PHM, Teixeira MJ, et al. Burst Transspinal Magnetic Stimulation Alleviates Nociceptive Pain in Parkinson Disease-A Pilot Phase II Double-Blind, Randomized Study. Neuromodulation. 2023;26(4):840-849. doi:10.1016/j.neurom.2022.10.043
4) Ploner M, Sorg C, Gross J. Brain Rhythms of Pain. Trends Cogn Sci. 2017;21(2):100-110. doi:10.1016/j.tics.2016.12.001

Presenting Author: Samuela-Esther Aliman
Submitting Author: Samuela-Esther Aliman

Senior Author: Daniel Ciampi de Andrade

IASP 2026 Global Year theme of Neuropathic Pain: No

• Enrico de Martino: Ph.D., MD - Center for Neuroplasticity and Pain, Aalborg University
• Steffen Frahm: cand. polyt, Ph.D. - Center for Neuroplasticity and Pain, Aalborg University
• Anthony Pickering: Professor, MD - School of Physiology, Pharmacology & Neuroscience, Bristol University
• Thomas Graven-Nielsen: Professor, DMSc, Ph.D. - Center for Neuroplasticity and Pain, Aalborg University
• Daniel Ciampi de Andrade: Associate Professor, MD, Ph.D. - Center for Neuroplasticity and Pain, Aalborg University