Alpha Entrainment in FS
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Alpha Entrainment in patients with Functional Seizures and Chronic Pain: a feasibility study
IRAS ID
333737
Contact name
Rajiv Mohanraj
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Manchester
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 11 months, 30 days
Research summary
This study is to determine whether patients with functional seizures (FS) and chronic pain can follow a 10 week intervention of alpha entrainment. Brain waves in the alpha frequency have been shown to stop the processing of irrelevant information - such as pain from a non-painful stimulus. We can stimulate the brain to produce more of these alpha waves using alpha entrainment; using a smartphone app which plays sounds at the same frequency as alpha waves.
Participants will be patients from NCA NHS Foundation Trust diagnosed with FS and who have responded to a previous research study asking about the frequency of chronic pain. Those with chronic pain will be contacted by the study team (as per the ethical approval of this previous study) and asked to participate in this research. If patients are agreeable, they will be posted a copy of the PIS and CF and asked to return via pre-addressed envelope. Once the CF is received by the team, participants will be sent materials for phase 1 via post and contacted by phone call with instructions for completing these.
There are three phases:
1. Participants will be asked to record their clinical symptoms (pain ratings, seizure frequency etc) for a period of 2 weeks.
2. Participants will attend the University of Manchester (UoM) pain laboratories at Salford Royal Hospital for baseline measurements and EEG and demonstration of the entrainment app. Participants will be given a smartphone (provided by the UoM pain team) with the app. They will use this smartphone twice a day for 4 weeks. They will then be invited back to the lab to repeat the baseline measurements and EEG.
3. Participants will spend another 2 weeks recording the same information as in phase 1. This will end their involvement in the research.
REC name
West Midlands - Black Country Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
24/WM/0066
Date of REC Opinion
7 Oct 2024
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion