Google Scholar | Citations: 16429| h-index: 32 | i10-index: 482
Decoding and canceling pain: paving the way for a brighter future in chronic pain management with AI-driven neurostimulation
PDF

Keywords

Chronic pain
Artificial intelligence
Deep brain stimulation
Brain-computer interface
Brain stimulation techniques

How to Cite

Decoding and canceling pain: paving the way for a brighter future in chronic pain management with AI-driven neurostimulation. (2025). Electronic Journal Collection Health, 25(12), e22111. https://doi.org/10.25248/reas.e22111.2025

Copyright © | All rights reserved.

The journal holds the exclusive copyright for the publication of this article under the terms of Brazilian law 9610/98.

Partial reproduction
The use of parts of the texts, figures and questionnaire of the article is free, being mandatory the citation of the authors and journal.

Total reproduction
It is expressly prohibited and must be authorized by the journal.

Abstract

Objective: To present and summarize the concept of intelligent, closed-loop neuromodulation devices, which aim to identify the specific neural signatures of chronic pain and selectively cancel them. Bibliographic review: This narrative review explores a revolutionary approach at the intersection of neuroscience and artificial intelligence, treating chronic pain as a neural circuit pathology. It discusses how machine learning algorithms can decode complex neural data to isolate pain signals in real-time, enabling the identification of an objective biomarker. Based on this decoding, targeted neurostimulation can deliver precise interventions to disrupt these pathological signals, operating in a closed-loop system (sense-decode-actuate) that is more effective and safer than conventional open-loop therapies. This approach represents the transition from systemic treatments to an adaptive and personalized therapy. Final considerations: It can be considered that this AI-driven paradigm holds promise for a fundamental shift in pain management. By offering a personalized and specific therapy, it represents a potential solution for intractable pain conditions, redefining the treatment for a condition that affects millions and transforming a symptom into a treatable biological signal.

PDF

References

APKHARIAN AV. Human Brain Imaging Studies of Chronic Pain: Translational Opportunities. In: Kruger L, Light AR, editors. Translational Pain Research: From Mouse to Man. Boca Raton (FL): CRC Press/Taylor & Francis; 2010; 239-251.

COHEN SP, et al. Chronic pain: an update on burden, best practices, and new advances. The Lancet, 2021; 397(10289): 2082-2097.

DEER TR, et al. The Neurostimulation Appropriateness Consensus Committee (NACC) recommendations for implantable neurostimulation devices. Neuromodulation, 2017; 20(3): 195-217.

DREW L. The ethics of brain-computer interfaces. Nature, 2019; 571: 15-17.

GBD 2016 DALY AND HALE COLLABORATORS. Global, regional, and national disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) for 333 diseases and injuries and healthy life expectancy (HALE) for 195 countries and territories, 1990–2016: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2016. The Lancet, 2017; 390(10100): 1260-1344.

GBD 2021 LOW BACK PAIN COLLABORATORS. Global, regional, and national burden of low back pain, 1990–2020, its attributable risk factors, and projections to 2050: a systematic analysis of the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021. The Lancet Rheumatology, 2023; 5: 316-29.

HAAG L, et al. Ethical gaps in closed-loop neurotechnology: a scoping review. npj Digital Medicine, 2025; 8: 11.

HASHMI JA, et al. Shape-shifting pain: chronification of back pain shifts brain representation from nociceptive to emotional circuits. Brain, 2013; 136(9): 2751-2768.

HECK CN, et al. Two-year seizure reduction in adults with medically intractable partial onset epilepsy treated with responsive neurostimulation: final results of the RNS System Pivotal trial. Epilepsia, 2014; 55(3): 432-441.

KNOTKOVA H, et al. Neuromodulation for chronic pain. The Lancet, 2021; 397(10289): 2111-2124.

KUNER R e FLOR H. Structural plasticity and reorganisation in chronic pain. Nature Reviews Neuroscience, 2016; 18(1): 20-30.

LAM CM, et al. Advances in spinal cord stimulation. Bioengineering, 2023; 10(9): 1004.

LEGON W, et al. Transcranial focused ultrasound neuromodulation of the human primary motor cortex. Nature Neuroscience, 2014; 17(2): 322-329.

LITTLE S, et al. Adaptive deep-brain stimulation in advanced Parkinson's disease. Annals of Neurology, 2013; 74(3): 449-457.

PLONER M, et al. Are there pain-specific brain representations? A meta-analysis of brain imaging studies. Pain, 2017; 158(7): 1217-1221.

RAZA A, et al. Closed-loop spinal cord stimulation: a review of the evidence and future directions. Neuromodulation, 2023; 26(1): 15-24.

SHIRVALKAR P, et al. First-in-human prediction of chronic pain state using intracranial neural biomarkers. Nature Neuroscience, 2023; 26(6): 1090-1099.

SHOU G, et al. Machine learning in pain research. Pain Medicine, 2020; 21(11): 2821-2838.

STUBHAUG A, et al. The costs of chronic pain: long-term estimates. European Journal of Pain, 2024; 28: 960-977.

VOWLES KE, et al. Rates of opioid misuse, abuse, and addiction in chronic pain: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Pain, 2015; 156(4): 569-576.

WAGER TD, et al. An fMRI-based neurologic signature of physical pain. The New England Journal of Medicine, 2013; 368(15): 1388-1397.

WOOLF CJ. Central Sensitization: Implications for the Diagnosis and Treatment of Pain. Pain, 2011; 152(3): 2-15.

ZEBHAUSER PT, et al. Resting-state electroencephalography and magnetoencephalography as biomarkers of chronic pain: a systematic review. Pain. 2023; 164(6): 1200-1221.