Investigating the effects of single-session interferential current therapy on brain electrical activity of patients with non-specific chronic low back pain

Abstract

Objectives: Considering the extent of structural and functional changes in the brain following chronic back pain, the aim of this study was to evaluate the changes in the electroencephalogram of patients with CLBP, and also to evaluate the effects of interferential current, as one of the common treatment methods in these patients, on the EEG. Methods: This study is a clinical trial. 20 patients with nonspecific CLBP and 20 healthy individuals participated. Healthy subjects were in the control group, and patients were randomly divided into two groups of intervention and placebo. Participants' EEG and pain intensity were recorded before and after one session of IFC. Result: The results of statistical tests to compare the EEG of patients and healthy people did not show any significant difference between the two groups. Meanwhile, after applying interferential current, a significant increase in alpha frequency was shown in all groups. In addition, a significant increase in theta frequency was recorded in the placebo group and beta frequency in the intervention group, but in the intergroup comparison, the changes of alpha frequency in the temporal lobe reached a significant level. The intensity of pain showed a significant decrease in the intervention group, but this decrease was not significant in the intergroup comparison. Correlation analysis between changes in EEG variables and changes in pain intensity did not show a significant relationship. Discussion: The results of this study did not show changes in the EEG of people with back pain compared to healthy people. Application of interferential current caused a significant increase in alpha frequency in the temporal lobe in both control and intervention groups. There was no significant reduction in pain intensity after applying interferential current, in addition, changes in pain intensity and EEG had no significant relationship.