In the initial trial of the technology, four participants were provided with a home-use kit and given instructions on how to navigate the system. The trial lasted four weeks, during which participants engaged with the interactive game daily. To assist them in achieving the desired brainwave shifts, the researchers provided various mental strategies. These included techniques such as deep relaxation, focused breathing, and the visualization of happy memories. These strategies served as the "controls" for the game, allowing participants to learn which mental states successfully modulated their neural activity.
The results of the trial were striking. Across hundreds of measures tracking pain intensity and "pain interference"—the degree to which pain disrupts daily activities—three out of the four participants reported significant reductions in their symptoms. The researchers noted that these improvements became particularly pronounced toward the end of the four-week period, suggesting a cumulative learning effect as the brain became more adept at self-regulation. For these three participants, the level of pain relief achieved was on par with or superior to what is typically expected from opioid therapy.
However, the research team remains cautious and emphasizes the preliminary nature of these results. "Restrictions in the study’s size, design and duration limit our ability to generalise the findings or rule out placebo effects," says Dr. Hesam-Shariati. Despite these limitations, the pilot study has provided the necessary "proof of concept" to move forward. "The results we’ve seen are exciting and give us confidence to move to the next stage and our larger trial," she adds.
One of the most significant aspects of the PainWaive project is its focus on accessibility and patient empowerment. Traditional EEG and neurofeedback treatments often require expensive equipment and frequent visits to specialized clinics, making them inaccessible for many patients, particularly those living in rural or underserved areas. The UNSW team sought to eliminate these barriers by creating a system that is both affordable and easy to use at home.
The development of the hardware was a challenge in itself. Initially, the researchers looked into using commercially available EEG systems, but they found that existing options were either prohibitively expensive or lacked the signal quality necessary for clinical-grade neurofeedback. In response, the team decided to build their own hardware from the ground up.
By leveraging 3D printing technology and in-house engineering, the researchers were able to drastically reduce the cost of the EEG headset. While traditional clinical EEG systems can cost anywhere from $1,000 to $20,000, the PainWaive headset can be produced for approximately $300. "Everything except the open-source EEG board was built in-house," Dr. Hesam-Shariati notes, adding that the team is currently working on a custom-designed board to replace the open-source component, further refining the proprietary technology.
