The Ability of Brain Waves Activity to Detect Patient Susceptibility to Post-Operative Pain

This observational study evaluates whether resting-state EEG alpha activity can help identify endodontic patients at higher risk of post-operative pain following single-visit root canal treatment. EEG will be recorded before treatment and pain intensity will be self-reported using a Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) during the early post-treatment period.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Pulp Disease, Dental
• Intervention / Treatment: Diagnostic test: Detection of th alpha brain waves activity

Detailed Description

This observational clinical study is designed to examine the association between resting-state electroencephalography (EEG) alpha activity and the intensity of post-operative pain following single-visit root canal treatment. Participants will be recruited from an endodontic clinic after ethics committee approval. Resting-state EEG will be recorded using a wearable EEG system prior to treatment. Post-operative pain intensity will be assessed using a patient-reported Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) during the early post-treatment period.

Participants will be classified based on baseline alpha activity (e.g., lower versus higher alpha power range). Analyses will evaluate whether baseline EEG alpha measures are associated with subsequent pain ratings and whether differences in alpha activity relate to higher post-operative pain susceptibility. The goal is to determine whether EEG alpha activity may serve as a practical biomarker for post-endodontic pain susceptibility.

• Study Type: Observational
• Enrollment (Actual): 100

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• Egypt
  • Cairo, Egypt
    • Ain Shams University

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: Adult
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

• Sampling Method: Probability Sample

Study Population

The study population consists of patients seeking dental treatment at the Department of Endodontics, Faculty of Dentistry, Ain Shams University.

Description

Inclusion criteria:

1. Patient's age ranges from 20-40.
2. Vital lower first molar with signs and symptoms of acute irreversible pulpitis and indicated for single visit root canal treatment.
3. Patients that had not received any medicinal therapy after endodontic treatment.
4. Patients who are mentally and physically capable to record pain intensity estimated every 6 hours after endodontic treatment using VAS.

Exclusion criteria:

1. Patient systemic disease or neurogenic disease that contraindicates the use of the EEG or have sensitivity to the electrode material.
2. Cases that root canal treatment could not be finished in a single visit such as teeth with apical periodontitis, pulpal necrosis, chronic apical abscess.
3. Patients who took analgesics within 24 hours after endodontic treatment.

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Number of groups / cohorts

2

Cohorts and Interventions

Group / Cohort	Intervention / Treatment
patients with low alpha frequency preoperatively ranging from 8 to 10.	Diagnostic test: Detection of th alpha brain waves activity; The study utilizes the EMOTIV® EPOC X, a mobile, wireless 14-channel EEG headset. This differs from traditional clinical EEG setups that often require bulky, wired equipment and the application of messy conductive gels, making this method much more suitable for a chair-side dental environment.
patients with high alpha frequency ranging from 11 to 13.	Diagnostic test: Detection of th alpha brain waves activity; The study utilizes the EMOTIV® EPOC X, a mobile, wireless 14-channel EEG headset. This differs from traditional clinical EEG setups that often require bulky, wired equipment and the application of messy conductive gels, making this method much more suitable for a chair-side dental environment.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
brain wave activity	The primary outcome is the correlation between pre-operative brain wave activity and post-operative pain intensity	24 hours

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Ain Shams University

Publications and helpful links

General Publications

• Cruccu G, Anand P, Attal N, Garcia-Larrea L, Haanpaa M, Jorum E, Serra J, Jensen TS. EFNS guidelines on neuropathic pain assessment. Eur J Neurol. 2004 Mar;11(3):153-62. doi: 10.1111/j.1468-1331.2004.00791.x.
• Furman AJ, Prokhorenko M, Keaser ML, Zhang J, Chen S, Mazaheri A, Seminowicz DA. Sensorimotor Peak Alpha Frequency Is a Reliable Biomarker of Prolonged Pain Sensitivity. Cereb Cortex. 2020 Nov 3;30(12):6069-6082. doi: 10.1093/cercor/bhaa124.

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): January 1, 2022
• Primary Completion (Actual): March 1, 2025
• Study Completion (Actual): July 1, 2025

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: February 8, 2026
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: February 27, 2026
• First Posted (Actual): March 3, 2026

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): March 3, 2026
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: February 27, 2026
• Last Verified: February 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Stomatognathic Diseases; Tooth Diseases; Dental Pulp Diseases
• Other Study ID Numbers: FDASU-Rec IM122127

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: NO

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: Yes
• product manufactured in and exported from the U.S.: Yes