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Brainwave training may soothe radiation pain in head and neck cancer

NCT ID NCT02543320

Symptom relief Sponsor: M.D. Anderson Cancer Center Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

What the study statuses mean

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Recruitment status, easiest to join first

Recruiting now
This trial is taking on new participants right now.
Not yet recruiting
Registered, but not yet taking participants.
By invitation only
Not open to general applications. Only people the study team invites can take part.
Paused
Paused for now. It may or may not start again.
Ongoing This study
Running, but no longer taking on new participants.
Completed
The trial has finished. Results may not be published yet.
Stopped early
Stopped early, before it reached the end. That can be for many reasons, including safety.
Cancelled
Cancelled before anyone took part.

Expanded access (not trials)

Expanded access
Not a trial. This treatment can be requested outside a study, case by case, for people who qualify.
Expanded access (paused)
Not a trial. The treatment can normally be requested outside a study, but is unavailable right now.
Expanded access (ended)
Not a trial. The treatment could once be requested outside a study, but no longer can.
Approved
The treatment has been approved, so it is available normally rather than through this programme.

When the status isn't known

Details not published
The full record has not been published yet, so there is little to show here.
Status unknown
This status has not been confirmed recently, so it may be out of date.

First seen Jun 24, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time

Summary

This small pilot study tests whether neurofeedback training can help reduce pain caused by radiation therapy in head and neck cancer patients. Participants learn to modify their own brain waves using EEG and computer software. The goal is to see if this technique can lower pain perception and improve daily life during treatment.

What this could mean

Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.

Active substance
LORETA neurofeedback training
What this could lead to
If it works, this could offer a non-drug way to manage pain during cancer treatment, improving quality of life.
What could go wrong
This is a very small pilot study with only 17 participants, so results may not apply widely. The training may not reduce pain for everyone.

This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.

Study facts

What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.

Phase

Not a phased trial

Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.

Participants

17 people

The number who actually took part.

Started

Aug 2012

Expected to finish

Apr 2027

An estimate. End dates often move.

Lead sponsor

Other sponsor

The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.

Who can take part

This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.

Ages

18 years and older

Sex

Anyone

Healthy volunteers

Not accepted

This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.

Show the full entry requirements

Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.

Inclusion Criteria: * Patients must have the ability to understand and read English, sign a written informed consent, and be willing to follow protocol requirements * Patients must not have pain \> 2 on a scale of 0 - 10 (self report) in the head and neck before starting radiotherapy * Scheduled to undergo a 6 week course of radiotherapy for head and neck cancer * No plans to change the type of pain medication during the course of the study Exclusion Criteria: * Patients who are taking any antipsychotic medications * Patients with active central nervous system (CNS) disease, such as clinically-evident metastases or leptomeningeal disease, dementia, or encephalopathy * Patients who have ever been diagnosed with bipolar disorder or schizophrenia * Patients with known, previously diagnosed head or neck pain from other pain syndromes or chronic pain requiring analgesics * Patients with a history of seizure disorders

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

head and neck cancer head and neck carcinoma

As listed by the trial registrant

The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.

Head and neck carcinoma

Contacts and locations

Locations

  • M D Anderson Cancer Center

    Houston, Texas, 77030, United States

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