The team has already tested their innovative treatment in humans. It uses an interactive game and headsets to teach patients how to rewire their brain signals and relieve pain, according to research recently published in the Journal of Pain.

Specialists have also successfully tested Painwave on individuals with corneal neuropathic pain, a disease of the eye nerves that causes light sensitivity, burning sensations, acute pain, and generalized discomfort around the face and skull.

The 3D-printed headset captures the user’s electrical signals, called brain waves, and sends the information to the app while the user plays.

The app translates the data into images that researchers or staff can view on the tablet, allowing researchers to observe how people’s brain activity changes while playing, the study explains.

The researchers discovered that the brain can produce certain patterns that, over time, alter brain activity and help reduce pain without the need for medication, the study concludes.

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