Pulsed Radiofrequency Analgesia Alters EEG Spatiotemporal Dynamics: A Microstate-Based Exploratory Study
Ying Yang1,2, Lanxing Wu2, Yan Pan2
1Hunan Key Laboratory of Nanophotonics and Devices, Hunan Key Laboratory of Super-Microstructure and Ultrafast Process, School of Physics, Central South University, Changsha, China.
Pain and Therapy
|November 3, 2025
Summary
Pulsed radiofrequency (PRF) for dorsal root ganglion (DRG) pain normalizes brain network interactions. This study shows changes in brain activity dynamics correlate with pain reduction, suggesting potential neurophysiological markers for treatment effectiveness.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Neurology
- Pain Management
Background:
- Pulsed radiofrequency (PRF) is a neuromodulation technique for neuropathic pain.
- Lumbosacral radicular pain often resists conventional treatments.
- Dorsal root ganglion (DRG) PRF shows promise but its mechanisms are unclear.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the neural mechanisms of DRG PRF analgesia.
- To characterize DRG PRF-induced alterations in brain microstate dynamics.
- To assess correlations between microstate changes and pain intensity.
Main Methods:
- High-density electroencephalograms (EEG) recorded in healthy controls and patients before/after DRG PRF.
- Analysis of microstate spatiotemporal dynamics (duration, occurrence, coverage, transition probabilities).
- Topographic analysis of variance (TANOVA) and Pearson correlation with visual analogue scale (VAS) scores.
Main Results:
- Significant topographic differences in microstates C and E between groups (p=0.033).
- Exploratory finding: Reduced transition probability from microstate D to E (Delta TM D to E) in patients pre-treatment (p=0.016).
- Delta TM D to E showed a trend toward normalization post-treatment and a significant negative correlation with VAS scores (r=-0.459, p=0.008).
Conclusions:
- DRG PRF alleviates neuropathic pain by normalizing large-scale brain network interactions.
- Observed topographic reorganizations and transition dynamics suggest treatment efficacy.
- Microstate metrics show potential as neurophysiological markers for pain and treatment response.
