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Mobile Neurofeedback for Low Back Pain

Duke University · with National Institutes of Health (NIH), National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR) · NCT05669027

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Opens the official ClinicalTrials.gov record, with the study team’s contacts. Bored Studies doesn’t enroll anyone.

Key facts

Compensation
Not posted. Ask the study team before screening.
Who can join
Ages 18–90 · All sexes
Healthy volunteers
Accepted
Study type
Interventional · Not applicable
Target enrollment
150
US sites recruiting
1
Study start
October 2, 2023
Record last updated
December 17, 2025

Status re-checked against ClinicalTrials.gov within the last 12 hours.

What the study is about

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.

Being studied: Neurofeedback; Sham (Placebo Control)

Conditions: Chronic Low Back Pain

Eligibility criteria

Copied from the official record. The study team makes the final decision at screening.

Show full criteria

Inclusion Criteria

  • Responding greater than 3 months to "How long has low back pain been an ongoing problem for you?"
  • Responding 'at least half the days' to "How often has low back pain been an ongoing problem for you over the past 6 months?"

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

  • History of seizures.
  • Planning pain-related surgery in the next 9 months.
  • Individuals with implanted medical devices that could experience interference during EEG and/or ECG, such as a spinal cord stimulator or pacemaker.
  • Lower back pain is associated with compensation or litigation issues.
  • Rating of past week pain intensity\<4 on 0-10 point scale.
  • Rating of past week pain interference\<4 on 0-10 point scale.

Recruiting US locations

  • Duke University Medical Center, Department of Psychiatry

    Durham, NC 27705

    Site contact: Eric Elbogen · 919-684-9983 · vetstudy@duke.edu

Study contacts (from the official record)

  • Janequia Evans · 919-681-1613 · DBHTL@duke.edu
All pain studies in North Carolina →
Mobile Neurofeedback for Low Back Pain (NCT05669027) | Bored Studies