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Is there a correlation between objective and subjective pain measurements and gamma oscillation frequencies?

Philip Bright and Samantha Nottage

Pain is a primal neurological and psychological function supporting self- preservation but prone to aberrant processing. Objective and subjective pain measures exist which are regarded as key outcomes with significant clinical indicators of change. The relationships between these measures warrant further exploration. The objective of this observational study was to explore potential correlation between objective and subjective pain measurements and gamma oscillation frequencies. Baseline characteristics were collected and brainwave activities were recorded via an EEG device for 37 undergraduate osteopathy students in a convenience sample. Pain pressure threshold was recorded via an algometer and participants were asked to complete a numeric rating scale (NRS) for pain. Multiple regression tests were analysed for correlation between the participant baseline variables (age, gender, anxiety levels, height and weight). High gamma oscillation, PPT and NRS were seen to have a significant correlation (p>0.05, r²=0.911 (95% Confidence Interval 0.83 - 0.96)). Exercises targeting modulation of gamma oscillations may play an important role in pain control. Whilst findings are significant, the generalisation of the results in this study is limited and further research into gamma oscillations in chronic pain populations is warranted.

Perspective: This article explores the relationship between pain measures and gamma oscillation frequencies. This relationship could potentially assist in pain control through directly targeting gamma waves through gaming activities.