Cognitive test during experimentally inducing pain

The abnormal neuronal firing creates an undesirable and unpleasant sensation what is referred to as pain. The response of pain is either excitatory like tremor or inhibitory like paralysis 1. Similarly, it can be neuropathic (due to damage or disease in the body?s neurological system like phantom li

Project Title

Cognitive test during experimentally inducing pain

Project Area of Specialization

NeuroTech

Project Summary

The abnormal neuronal firing creates an undesirable and unpleasant sensation what is referred to as pain. The response of pain is either excitatory like tremor or inhibitory like paralysis 1. Similarly, it can be neuropathic (due to damage or disease in the body’s neurological system like phantom limb pain) or it can be nociceptive (due to external injury). To study the response of pain, experimentally induced pain techniques are used as these techniques act as a vector to understand the concept of pain mechanism in healthy individuals, as well as such induced pain, are temporary, localized, vincible and short lived. The cold pressor test comes under the category of thermal test which is an example of a pain inducing technique. Likewise, various pain assessment techniques are available like NRS, VRS and Wober’s face scale for rating the pain. Along with medications and surgeries which constitute a common practice throughout the world to eradicate this nuisance sensation where neuromodulation is the most astonishing and recent masterpiece in the world of therapeutics to reduce the effects of pain. Especially electrical neuromodulationtDCS for our concern serves as a noninvasive mode of altering neuronal circuitry of human thereby reducing the effects of pain. Moreover, the various cognitive test has been designed like a Stroop test, memory span test, n –backtest, to judge human intelligence and psychology (12).

Recent studies have shown the relationships among neuromodulation (tDCS) with pain moreover the relationship among neuromodulation (tDCS) with cognitive abilities and in such studies a low level, brief 1-2mA current is directly applied in the scalp more appropriately DLPFC as a common means for a specified duration, usually 30 minutes.

 The consensus regarding neuromodulation (tDCS) with pain is that the cathodaltDCS stimulation increases the pain threshold or the tolerance against the pain.

The consensus regarding neuromodulation (tDCS) with cognition is that the Anodal tDCS stimulation increases the cognitive abilities.

Eventually, the relation between the pain and cognitive ability is the reciprocal i.e. increase of pain decreases the cognitive abilities and vice versa.

However, the study of tDCS in relation to pain and cognitive abilities assessment has not been investigated yet. Which we will be studying and analyzing it the help of Emotive Epoc Electroencephalography.

Project Objectives

To study the effect of tDCS in cognitive response during experimentally inducing pain.

Project Implementation Method

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1tQvQoXBA4Ka0Z9lD5UhCKw1MByOaHedYDXQyAdri8bo/edit?usp=sharing

Image of Methodology in the above-given link

Benefits of the Project

Our aim is to study the effects on cognitive abilities by inducing experimentally induced pain techniques i.e. cold pressor test / via algometry using Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) to derive the results using electroencephalography.

Our research topic belongs to the field of neurosciences that aims to provide rehabilitation to the people that lacks the proper meaning of life and are constantly tackling the hurdles of line in terms of pain (either excitatory like in case of tremor or inhibitory like in case of paralysis), the people how are suffering from cognitive impairment disorders like dementia, Parkinson’s disorder, regaining the lost attention and focus and enhancing the short term memory.

But the main focus of our research findings is towards the nociceptive pain that is external pain due to any physical injury for that purpose we are using experimentally inducing pain techniques particularly cold pressor test and pressure algometry test. And in the cognitive domain, we are targeting the attention/focusing abilities and short term memory i.e. cognitive memory. 

We are working on one of the broadest categories of sciences in particular and neurosciences in general. These two research sites are so vast that variety of researches are being conducted in this regard using numerous techniques but to study these two categories of Pain and Cognition we are making use of the following that makes us novel:

• Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) to alter the functionality of the neurons by modulating the excitability of a neuron. This modulatory effect can be either inhibitory or excitatory depending upon the physiology of the neuron. Excitatory in a sense that it increases the action potential thereby increasing the membrane potential of the neuron specifically in the case of tremors and inhibitory in a sense by decreasing the action potential thereby decreasing the membrane potential of the neuron specifically in the case of paralysis. 

• Electroencephalography to observe brain patterns, neurological and behavioral trends as alone and with the above-mentioned techniques. We are using the Emotive Epoc 14 channel EEG device for mapping brain positions and for evaluation purposes.  

• Stroop Test: It is a cognitive memory test that is coded on python software which targets short term memory and focuses on attention seeking. By this test and tDCS we can increase the short term memory retention and improve attention/ focusing.
• Moreover using the all above mentioned techniques and methods ranging  from pain-inducing techniques, tDCS, Emotive Epoc for EEG, Stroop test all are FDA approved techniques and are being used worldwide with no or minimum side effects so eradication of pain and improving attention and memory using these suggested methods are far better than drugs, other medications, and surgeries  intended to  suppress pain and  to enhance memory that accompanies a a variety of long term.

Technical Details of Final Deliverable

Our experimentation aims to focus on neuromodulation, pain and cognitive abilities and to find the relationship amongst them:

• Pain response with neuromodulation-tDCS.
• Cognitive response with neuromodulation-tDCS.
•  Pain and Cognitive abilities

Relation of tDCS with Cognition:

It shows that tDCS effects cognitive abilities.

More specifically when anodal tDCS subjected appropriately to the left Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cotrex and on motor cortex M1 for 2mA for the duration of 20 minute. Cognition was assessed by the help of n-back test, the results affirmed that the cognition was increased.

Relation of tDCS with Pain:

tDCS has shown its efficiency in various studies in its relation with pain like Deep and cortical Brian stimulation, Motor Cortex stimulation.tDCS relation with cognition is also appreciable in terms of treating various neurodegenerative cognitive impairment diseases like Alzheimer's, Parkinson’s disease and in various sorts of dementia. Low level, brief 1-2mA current is directly applied in the scalp more appropriately DLPFC as a common means for the specified duration, usually 30 minutes. The consensus regarding neuromodulation (tDCS) with pain is that the cathodaltDCS stimulation increases the pain threshold or the tolerance against the pain.

Relation of cognition with Pain:

Relationship between cognitive abilities and pain is inversely related to each other. Increasing pain reduces cognition or vice versa. Various researches had been taken place and the result of one such research is mentioned here:

“Prove of lowered cognitive processing was found in patients having chronic pain. The chronic pain participants did significantly worse than the pain-free participants on the cognitive assessment of long-term memory, selective attention, processing speed, and executive functioning”

Relation of tDCS with cognition and Pain:

Various studies have been done in order to link cognitive assessment with pain and tDCS, various conclusions have been derived from it leading to ambiguity however, none such exact conclusion have been derived as a whole.

“After stimulation and cognitive activity, two consequences of pain intensity and disability were accessed. tDCS has a positive effect on the reduction of pain intensity but cognitive behavioral management didn’t give a positive effect on the reduction of pain intensity”.

“The results and conclusions showed the relationship between heat pain perception and working memory with tDCS as the anodal tDCS on Right DLPFC leads to increase in heat pain tolerance upon stimulation, however, it failed to find an increasing effect on cognition or working memory as the stimulation was increased.” 

“tDCS+Cognitive task enhancing memory in a visual memory task, but not the attention. In this the test which was used as “Stroop test”

CT+ShamtDCS+tDCS resulted in increased memory capacity.

Final Deliverable of the Project

HW/SW integrated system

Type of Industry

Medical

Technologies

NeuroTech

Sustainable Development Goals

Good Health and Well-Being for People

Required Resources

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