Australian researchers develop brain training game for drug-free pain relief
Australian researchers have developed a new interactive game, showing early promise as a non-invasive, drug-free alternative for managing chronic nerve pain
Published on Jun 4, 2025
By IANS
- SYDNEY — Australian researchers have developed a new interactive game,
showing early promise as a non-invasive, drug-free alternative for managing
chronic nerve pain.
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- The project, called PainWaive, trains users to regulate
abnormal brain activity linked to neuropathic pain, Xinhua news agency
reported.
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- Developed by researchers from the University of New South
Wales (UNSW), the game uses a headset to monitor brainwaves in real time while
players engage with a mobile game that rewards healthy brainwave patterns,
offering a potential home-based replacement for painkillers such as opioids.
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- Three out of four participants reported significant pain
reduction after four weeks of use in a recent trial. Their relief was
comparable to or greater than what is typically achieved with opioid
medication, the team found.
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- The game is based on disrupted brainwave activity in
people with nerve pain, particularly changes in the thalamus -- a key relay
centre in the brain.
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- The technology helps users retrain abnormal brain
activity using mental strategies like relaxation or positive imagery, said
Sylvia Gustin, professor at UNSW. The findings are published in the Journal of
Pain.
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- “Participants felt empowered to manage their pain in
their own environment. That’s a huge part of what makes this special,” said Dr
Negin Hesam-Shariati from UNSW’s NeuroRecovery Research Hub.
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- Participants used a low-cost EEG (electroencephalogram)
headset and tablet-based game at home, with remote monitoring by researchers.
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- Designed using 3D printing and open-source parts, the
headset costs around $193.7, far cheaper than commercial systems, and uses wet
electrodes to target the brain's sensorimotor cortex for accurate pain-related
readings,
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- PainWaive's design prioritises accessibility for those
with limited access to conventional treatments, Gustin said. She added that
recruitment is underway for two larger trials targeting chronic spinal pain and
neuropathic pain from spinal cord injuries.
