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Neurotechnology for Chronic Pain

Lead Research Organisation: University of Oxford
Department Name: Clinical Neurosciences

Abstract

At least 20% of the UK population suffer from clinically significant chronic pain, making chronic pain almost unparalleled in its clinical and socioeconomic impact. The problem is amplified by the paucity of currently available pharmacological and non-pharmacological solutions. However recent advances in our understanding of the neurobiological mechanisms of chronic pain have created an enormous but untapped opportunity for neurotechnology, with the capacity to completely transform the clinical landscape of chronic pain. Realising this capacity depends critically on creating a technological and clinical infrastructure that brings together interdisciplinary expertise (researchers, clinicians, patients), different chronic pain conditions (nociceptive, neuropathic, nociplastic), and different technological tools. From a neuroengineering perspective, this will allow technological integration with a focus on key strategic targets informed by neurobiological mechanisms. This has the power to drive neural changes associated with chronic pain - as well as its associated fatigue, depression and anxiety, towards recovering a normal state of health, and deliver major impact across multiple medical conditions and chronic illnesses, many of which have chronic pain as their single most problematic facet.

Our central objective is to create a comprehensive network dedicated to discovery and enhancing capability of chronic pain neurotechnology, to bring about a step-change in current available therapeutics. We will engage fully across the spectrum of researchers, clinicians, patients, and other stakeholders to i) define the current landscape and identify key opportunities and challenges; ii) engage in an innovative discovery research focused on technology development chronic pain, and iii) create a sustainable infrastructure for pain neurotechnology by supporting ECRs, education and training, and seeding new UK and international collaborations.

Our scientific and technical focus is based on building integrated systems that combine core technologies, typically as closed-loop systems: for example closed-loop neurostimulation using peripheral sensor detection of nociceptive reflexes, cognitive VR with neurostimulation, EEG neurofeedback within cognitive and behavioural digital therapy, and others. The aim is to build the capability to combine individual technologies in a way that is target-focused, therapeutically interactive, and practically and clinically feasible. We will undertake a set of feasibility studies that test specific integrative strategies and show how these different pieces can be used to further design more comprehensive pain therapy systems. Ultimately this aims to build a new generation of cost-effective, patient-friendly, personalised and domestically usable technologies that can be developed with clinical and industry partners.

Our major deliverables and outputs will i) a set of strategy documents and scientific reviews covering conceptual framework development, pathways to clinical translation, and ethics and accessibility, ii) a series of events including workshops, sandpits, and a major public exhibition, iii) a set of new collaborative research feasibility projects; iv) a major educational program including a comprehensive seminar series, an extensive researcher exchange program, dedicated funds for new ECR pilot projects, and an ambitious UK mentorship program, v) a set of web-based resources including public engagement media outputs and patient information; as well as open technical, software tools and data produced by the network (e.g. software APIs for closed-loop systems). The network will be outwardly looking with the aim to establish links with all related researchers and stakeholders across the UK, building a sustainable research infrastructure focused on research and impact delivery both now and into the long term.
 
Title 'Living with Pain' Patient & Public Involvement project 
Description We launched a PPI project towards the end of 2023 and asked volunteers to help us understand the reality of what it is like to live with chronic pain. The project is ran by a group of pain scientists working with an artist to explore ways of capturing the many diverse ways in which pain and other aspects of chronic illness impacts on daily life: how people manage at home, how they live in their communities, and how they manage with other chronic symptoms, including problems with fatigue, sleep disturbance, and mental health. The science team includes clinicians and pain scientists at Oxford, Glasgow, Cardiff and Exeter Universities. They are concerned that many people do not understand or appreciate how pain impacts on people's lives, such as how it causes disability, how it affects relationships, how it affects the ability to work. The problem arises because pain cannot be 'seen', and the only way many doctors know you are in pain is based on your description of it, something that is often reduced to a quick rating or 'score' in a clinic appointment with a doctor, nurse, or physiotherapist. But we think this fails to capture the impact that pain really has. And as a consequence, the core message about the impact that pain has on people's lives isn't communicated or understood well, and hence policy makers don't take it seriously enough. To try and better communicate this, the science team teamed up with an artist called Marysa Dowling. She has a lot of experience of working with patients in many diverse contexts: listening to their stories, recording their thoughts, and often visiting them in their communities and taking photographs to capture their experience. In the project, Marysa has spoken to a range of patients with pain of many different types and causes, and to people from many different backgrounds. Some people have mild pain, and others who have severe pain alongside many other complex medical problems. Speaking to many people has allowed her to pull together an overall picture of chronic pain, and she has used these conversations to create an overview of the lived reality of pain. Many of these insights are also useful for the science team to shape the questions that they ask in their future research projects, so she will feed this back into a series of science discussions. Marysa has also visited a select few individually in person, to spend more time with them, and has taken photographs and other artistic materials that would then be used in a future exhibition or publication. We believe the combination of narrative accounts of pain, alongside photographs, is the most powerful way to communicate with people who have never experienced chronic pain. Currently we have a combination of narrative / textual data, photographs, voice notes, videos and other material. Part of this data feeds back to us to help us formulate research questions (PPI), and part of is intended to lead to publicly disseminated artwork. This would include materiel for public exhibition (e.g. artwork displayed in hospitals/universities and other events); and a website virtual exhibition which contains much more detailed narrative stories for the individuals. This would be hosted/domained on an independent webpage that we are currently planning to set-up with a web developer. 
Type Of Art Artwork 
Year Produced 2025 
Impact See above! 
URL https://www.marysadowling.co.uk/
 
Description All activities associated with our network can be viewed using our two annual reports via our network website, using the below URL link.
Exploitation Route Our planned final report paper that we are working towards for this year (2025) before our network draws to a close will outline how neurotechnology within chronic pain could be taken forward.
Sectors Digital/Communication/Information Technologies (including Software)

Education

Healthcare

Government

Democracy and Justice

Manufacturing

including Industrial Biotechology
URL https://cpnn.ac.uk/publications/
 
Description Chronic Pain Neurotechnology Network+ online lecture course
Geographic Reach Multiple continents/international 
Policy Influence Type Influenced training of practitioners or researchers
URL https://cpnn.ac.uk/neurotech-course/
 
Description Chronic Pain Neurotechnology Network+ online lecture course
Geographic Reach Multiple continents/international 
Policy Influence Type Influenced training of practitioners or researchers
Impact Feedback (35 responses) • Did you find this course was easy to fit within your schedule? 34/35 said yes • Was the Canvas platform easy to use? 35/35 said yes • Were you satisfied with the scientific content of the course? 35/35 said yes • Were you satisfied with the format of the course? 35/35 said yes • Did your progress through the course make sense? 35/35 said yes • In general, would you say that you were satisfied by the overall quality of the course? 32/35 said agree or strongly agree • Do you feel more positively about pain/technology having now completed the course? 33/35 said agree or strongly agree • Having completed the course, has it changed your perspective on pain and/or technology? 32/35 said agree or strongly agree • Has the course changed your knowledge, practice and/or teaching? 33/35 said agree or strongly agree • Would you say that the quizzes were useful to you? 30/35 said agree or strongly agree
URL https://cpnn.ac.uk/neurotech-course/
 
Description 'Improving Neurofeedback Efficacy with Brain Responsive Music' Aleksandra Vuckovic
Amount £93,322 (GBP)
Organisation Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) 
Sector Public
Country United Kingdom
Start 05/2024 
End 06/2025
 
Description 'Leveraging Multisite Transcranial Ultrasound Stimulation of the Anterior Cingulate Cortex for Endogenous Pain Modulation'
Amount £80,000 (GBP)
Funding ID BMPF_PSM694 
Organisation Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) 
Sector Public
Country United Kingdom
Start 11/2024 
End 10/2025
 
Description 'Testing Neurofeedback Treatment of Neuropathic Pain in Singapore Clinical Setting' (EPSRC Impact Acceleration Account) Aleksandra Vuckovic
Amount £41,974 (GBP)
Organisation Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) 
Sector Public
Country United Kingdom
Start 12/2024 
End 12/2025
 
Description Multi-site and state-dependent effects of Transcranial Ultrasound Stimulation on brain function and cognition.
Amount £1,223,819 (GBP)
Funding ID BB/Y001494/1 
Organisation Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) 
Sector Public
Country United Kingdom
Start 01/2024 
End 01/2028
 
Description Quantifying preferences for interventional neurotechnologies: a novel, co-designed, market-based evaluation tool
Amount £384,521 (GBP)
Organisation Advanced Research and Innovation Agency (ARIA) 
Sector Public
Country United Kingdom
Start 01/2025 
End 12/2026
 
Description Improving Neurofeedback Efficacy with Brain-Responsive Music 
Organisation Newcastle University
Country United Kingdom 
PI Contribution Our research team made significant contributions to this collaboration across multiple areas: Conceptualisation & Methodology: co-led the design of the research framework, defining research objectives and experimental design. Software & Resources: developed bespoke software and models, tailored to the study's requirements. Fabricated custom equipment (e.g., cables) and provided access to equipment (e.g., EEG system) required for data acquisition. Implemented custom pipeline for efficient data collection and processing. Data curation & Validation: conducted several pilot studies to refine protocols and validate the reliability of data collection and analysis methods. Supervision & Project Management: supervised early career researchers involved in the project, providing mentorship and technical training. Managed project timelines to ensure research progress and effective collaboration.
Collaborator Contribution Our collaborator made the following key contributions: Conceptualisation & Methodology: co-led the design of the research framework, defining research objectives and experimental design. Software & Resources: provided access to custom (proprietary) software essential for the project. Offered expertise and technical support to facilitate the integration of this software with our software, models, and equipment. Experiment & Data Validation: provided extensive feedback on data collection methods, analysis pipelines, and interpretation of results. Supervision & Project Management: provided mentorship and technical training to early career researchers involved in the project.
Impact Output: new research tool/method Multidisciplinary: involving biomedical engineering (Prof. Vuckovic) and neuroscience/bioscience (Prof. Jackson) disciplines
Start Year 2024
 
Description Mapping the brain circuit of pain modulation with transcranial ultrasound stimulation (TUS) 
Organisation University of Plymouth
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Academic/University 
PI Contribution Researching central pain mechanisms associated with transcranial ultrasound stimulation in the anterior cingulate cortex
Collaborator Contribution Transcranial ultrasound technology
Impact In preparation.
Start Year 2024
 
Description PPI funding awardee (JT) - Creation of a National Co-Development Hub for Therapeutic Digital Health Interventions in Chronic Pain. 
Organisation University of East Anglia
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Academic/University 
PI Contribution Our network advertised a recent funding call for early career researcher to apply for up to £5000, with the aim to support projects that develop the role of Public and Patient Involvement and Engagement (PPIE) in shaping and advancing the application of neurotechnology in chronic pain research and management. We recognize the transformative potential of neurotechnology in understanding and managing chronic pain, and we aim to foster collaborative efforts that involve patients and the public in driving innovation, improving treatment outcomes, and enhancing the quality of life for individuals living with chronic pain. As a result we awarded Dr Jordan Tsigarides up to £500 to work on his above/below project.
Collaborator Contribution As this project is currently active, please find a project summary below. Digital health interventions, including virtual reality, offer new avenues for chronic pain management. However, solutions frequently lack effective co-design with patients, potentially resulting in ineffective or even harmful applications. This gap often arises from limited co-design expertise, poor access to individuals with lived experience and lack of structured collaboration among stakeholders. Currently, no UK-based organisations focus specifically on facilitating such co-development. This application aims to address this problem by establishing a UK Co-Development Hub to support those developing digital therapeutics in chronic pain. The hub's objectives are three-fold: 1. Stakeholder Network Development: Create a cross-sector network of healthcare providers, academics, industry experts, and those with lived experience of chronic pain to foster collaboration and co-design. 2. Digital Platform Creation: Develop a user-friendly website as the hub's central platform, featuring co-design resources and tools. 3. Co-design Framework: Create evidence-based guidelines and helpful toolkits to support co-development of digital therapeutics in chronic pain. By offering a structured approach to co-development, the hub aims to catalyse the creation of effective, tailored digital interventions for chronic pain utilising human-centred design
Impact As this project is still ongoing, we have requested for a final written report to be sent to us no later than 31st March 2025.
Start Year 2023
 
Description PPI funding call awardee (AS) - Nature-based Analgesia and Chronic Low-Back Pain: A Role for Immersive Virtual Reality? 
Organisation University of Plymouth
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Academic/University 
PI Contribution As part of our CPNN+, we hosted a funding call towards the end of 2023 for early career researchers to support projects that develop the role of Public and Patient Involvement and Engagement (PPIE) in shaping and advancing the application of neurotechnology in chronic pain research and management. We recognize the transformative potential of neurotechnology in understanding and managing chronic pain, and we aim to foster collaborative efforts that involve patients and the public in driving innovation, improving treatment outcomes, and enhancing the quality of life for individuals living with chronic pain. We therefore awarded Mr. Alexander Smith from the University of Plymouth with up to £5000 to carry out the above/below project.
Collaborator Contribution As this is an ongoing project, please find a summary below. Exposure to nature has a myriad of health benefits from mental health and wellbeing to pain amelioration. The benefits to pain, specifically chronic, have yet to be explored in real depth. Understanding the mechanisms through which nature can be leveraged for chronic pain may improve therapeutic options in the future. This project aims to develop a nature based virtual reality intervention for chronic low back pain patients using a mixed methods co-design approach. Specifically, we aim to: 1) To understand and quantify the unmet clinical needs of the chronic low-back pain community, and to work with members of that community in exploring potential treatments, programmes or interventions using immersive nature-based VR technologies [phase 1]. 2) To co-design a VR intervention with members of the chronic low-back pain community using existing environmental psychology theory and anticipated impact on symptom profiles [phase 2]. 3) To develop a working nature-based VR intervention using real world 360 degree immersive videos based on extensive patient co-design [phase 3]. Through developing this patient informed working prototype of a novel VR intervention, we will then be able to start testing the therapeutic effects in follow on studies beyond the scope of this funding period.
Impact As this is currently ongoing, we have requested that a final written report is produced to us no later than 31st March 2025.
Start Year 2023
 
Description PPI funding call awardee (GT) - Exploring the Use of Immersive Virtual Reality (IVR) for the Treatment of Chronic Back Pain (CBP) - Patient perspectives and expectations. 
Organisation Cardiff University
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Academic/University 
PI Contribution As part of our network, we hosted a funding call towards the end of 2023 for early career researchers to support projects that develop the role of Public and Patient Involvement and Engagement (PPIE) in shaping and advancing the application of neurotechnology in chronic pain research and management. We recognize the transformative potential of neurotechnology in understanding and managing chronic pain, and we aim to foster collaborative efforts that involve patients and the public in driving innovation, improving treatment outcomes, and enhancing the quality of life for individuals living with chronic pain. As a result, we awarded Dr. George Tackley with up to £5000 to carry out the above/below project.
Collaborator Contribution As this project is currently active, please find a project summary below. The value of patient and public involvement and engagement (PPIE) in developing meaningful outcome measures is increasingly recognised within chronic pain research. Our proposal is to explore the perceptions and expectations in participants arising from the use of immersive virtual reality (IVR) to manipulate pain in people suffering from moderate to severe chronic low back pain (CBP). An IVR/CBP study is currently running which will investigate the mechanisms by which pain improvement occurs with IVR. In our PPIE sub-study we will focus on participant perceptions and experiences of this novel intervention, which are important to any future developments of IVR and its role in managing CBP. We will utilise both standard and novel questionnaires to gage pre and post IVR intervention responses from 40 participants, documenting their current understanding and expectations from the IVR technology and its impact on their CBP. We also intend to examine whether certain patient characteristics, such as anxiety, fear avoidance, or catastrophizing impact upon the response to IVR as a therapy. The main objective of our project is to ensure that due importance is given to the voice of the end user in this novel intervention.
Impact As this is currently ongoing, we have requested that a project report is sent to us no later than 31st March 2025.
Start Year 2023
 
Description PPI funding call awardee (JB) - Patient-informed development of a personalized virtual reality intervention for body representation distortion and chronic pain. 
Organisation University of Bath
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Academic/University 
PI Contribution Our network held a Patient and Public Involvement & Engagement (PPIE) funding call towards the end of 2023 for early career researchers. Our aim is to support projects that develop the role of Public and Patient Involvement and Engagement (PPIE) in shaping and advancing the application of neurotechnology in chronic pain research and management. We recognize the transformative potential of neurotechnology in understanding and managing chronic pain, and we aim to foster collaborative efforts that involve patients and the public in driving innovation, improving treatment outcomes, and enhancing the quality of life for individuals living with chronic pain. As a result we awarded Dr Janet Bultitude and co applicant, Ms. Caitlin Naylor, PhD Student, up to £5000 to proceed with the above/below project.
Collaborator Contribution As this project is currently active, please see a project summary below. Our project will address technology development, treatment optimization, and user experience and acceptance for a personalized virtual reality (VR) rehabilitation tool for chronic upper limb pain. Our tool uses hand-tracking technology to allow patients to embody virtual upper limbs with different appearances. Previous research has demonstrated some success in treating chronic pain by using illusions to change the appearance of the painful hand. We aim to allow a more immersive and personalized experience, and to accommodate a broader range of desired limb appearance. Our objectives are to: 1. Develop a VR tool that will enable a person without VR programming expertise to create a virtual limb that has the personalized desired appearance of a patient, and then allow the patient to embody that limb within the same session. 2. Explore patients' perceptions and attitudes regarding current rehabilitation methods that alter body perception, and their requirements or concerns for personalized and VR-based rehabilitation methods. 3. Gather and implement patient feedback on our VR rehabilitation approach, including preferences about the specific visual limb manipulations and factors influencing the acceptability of the VR tool. 4. Work with patients to understand what information should be conveyed to users of the VR tool, and how that can best be conveyed.
Impact As this project is currently ingoing, we have requested that a final written report is sent to us no later than 31st March 2025.
Start Year 2023
 
Description Quantifying the impact of tonic pain on the modulation of the nociceptive withdrawal reflex during walking 
Organisation Cardiff University
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Academic/University 
PI Contribution A post-doc was funded for 8 months from 8/7/24 to 28/2/25 to establish the novel protocol for this work and collect data. A casual (hourly paid) research assistant is currently employed for data processing. Consumables for the research. Sam Hughes (CPNN+ co-applicant based at Exeter University) provided oversight and guidance on protocol development and interpretation of results.
Collaborator Contribution Jen Davies (based at Cardiff University) developed the project idea and initial protocol and led the process of getting ethics approval for this work. JD programmed the software needed to integrate the equipment required for the novel protocol. JD trained the project staff on the advanced Motek GRAIL system within the Research Centre for Clinical Kinesiology at Cardiff University and was involved in protocol development. JD advised on recruitment and oversaw the testing (data collection).
Impact Testing is ongoing. Results will be presented at national conferences (Advanced Pain Discovery Platform and British Pain Society in June 2025), an international conference (International Society of Posture and Gait Research in July 2025) and submitted for publication in a peer-reviewed journal in Summer 2025.
Start Year 2024
 
Description APDP conference (Nottingham) 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact We presented an update of the network at the annual APDP conference in Nottingham, on 7th June 2024.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2024
 
Description BNA annual meeting: symposium - Aversive cognition and pain: from theory to neuroengineering & presenting CPNN+ 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Postgraduate students
Results and Impact We jointly organised this meeting developed core concepts of computation and information processing in the pain system, towards an understanding of how this can be used to shape technological therapies. The BNA is an excellent forum to reach a large audience of UK neuroscientists, and the event was well attended in April 2023.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2023
 
Description Be a Scientist! Free family event for ages 6+ 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Regional
Primary Audience Public/other audiences
Results and Impact Cardiff Science Festival; Being a scientist can mean so many different things. To provide a flavour of what different scientists do and how science impacts our everyday lives. Lots of interactive activities and interesting experiments designed were planned, mainly for ages 6+ to experience what being a Scientist is really like. The event introduced some brilliant minds from across Cardiff University and some friendly local science-based businesses who sparked imaginations!
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2025
URL https://www.cardiff.ac.uk/community/events/view/2894077-be-a-scientist!
 
Description Brain Pain Pictures activity - 14th Feb 2025 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Regional
Primary Audience Schools
Results and Impact Over 90 children attended from 3 Primary Schools in Cardiff /Newport area which are:
Millbank year 6 (aged 10/11)
Pencaerau year 6 (aged 10/11)
St Fagans year 4 (aged 8/9)
Brain/Pain activities were carried out for the children to learn about the brain (i.e. name different parts of the brain) and ask questions. Children rotated around science based activities for 10 minutes at a time. Hosted by Cardiff University.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2025
 
Description CPNN+ Neurotechnology and Pain Workshop 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact Interdisciplinary workshop that aimed to explore the promises and pitfalls of neuromodulation in chronic pain research. The workshop included morning talks across a range of translational topics that covered neuromodulation in experimental human models, methodological considerations and clinical studies. Afternoon interactive workshops focused on how to design and carry out transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) and transcranial ultrasound stimulation (TUS) experiments. This included guidance on how to use neuronavigation and how to integrate with EEG recordings. 56 in person attendees, attended this hybrid 2 day event at the University of Exeter in July 2024. International guest speakers, poster presentations including prizes and a workshop hosted by Brainbox.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2024
 
Description Chronic Pain Neurotechnology Network+ website 
Form Of Engagement Activity Engagement focused website, blog or social media channel
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Postgraduate students
Results and Impact Our website has been developed to target those studying and/or interested in Chronic Pain and Neurotechnology. With regular news articles posted on our homepage, we attempt to keep members up to date with how our network is progressing. Alongside this, we also provide information about forthcoming events hosted by ourselves and/or neighboring colleagues/networks. In addition, we advertise current opportunities such as PhD positions and job roles.

More recently, we advertised our own funding call via our website for early career researchers to support them to carry out a patient & public involvement & engagement project to develop the role of PPIE in shaping & advancing the application of neurotechnology in chronic pain research and management. We successfully awarded four CPNN+ members with up to £5,000. Furthermore, we currently have any anonymous survey for members of the public and CPNN+ to share their views on Autism & Chronic Pain.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2023,2024
URL https://cpnn.ac.uk/
 
Description Dubai meeting World Physiotherapy Congress, Platform presentation 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Postgraduate students
Results and Impact We presented our network (CPNN+) at the World Physiotherapy Congress held on 2-4th June 2023.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2023
URL https://world.physio/congress#/home
 
Description EPSRC meeting on digital technologies (Cardiff) 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Postgraduate students
Results and Impact On 6th June 2023, we presented on the 'Barriers and Facilitators for the use of technology for rehabilitation'
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2023
 
Description Eisteddfod 2024 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Schools
Results and Impact There were 2 activities - 1) Young people wearing headphones and an eye mask experienced a small brush being brushed over their forearm. With eye mask and headphones removed they drew what they felt the sensation felt like or used words to describe the feeling or drew what brush (of the selection we had) was the one used. They then hung their picture on the 'washing line of pictures'.
The second was we had a labelled model of the brain with a chart explaining what each part was responsible for and the young people could pull the brain apart and put it back together again. These activities enabled young people to think about what they felt as a sensation and to draw that and to learn more about different parts of the brain
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2024
URL https://eisteddfod.wales/festival/2024
 
Description First ADPD annual conference (Nottingham) 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact We presented a series of posters and a platform presentation about the CPNN+ network at the first annual APDP conference in Nottingham. The APDP is a key partner for CPNN+, as it provides a national infrastructure for chronic pain research, especially translational research. Network members also received prizes for their posters.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2023
 
Description Immers-eXpo (Oxford) 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Industry/Business
Results and Impact We co-sponsored the Oxford X-Reality Hub, in collaboration with the Jesus College Cheng Kar Shun Digital Hub, for a mixed reality expo at the University of Oxford, introducing the newest developments in mixed reality technology and its potential in research, teaching and outreach. In May 2023, we gave a platform presentation and ran a stand demonstrating our research. This was a key opportunity to reach an academic and industry audience beyond that usually interested in chronic pain.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2023
URL https://oxr.eng.ox.ac.uk/blog/expo_23/
 
Description Living with Persistent Pain (Cardiff) 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact Val Sparkes and CPNN+ partner (Sharmila Khot) attended the 'Living with Persistent Pain in Wales' conference on 18.09.2023. The event was held by the Welsh Government in Cardiff, with the afternoon session being opened by the Minister for Health and Social Services and addressed by the Deputy Chief Medical Officer.
The aim of this event was to raise awareness and education around persistent pain conditions and the support that is available within pain management and service development
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2023
 
Description Mentorship Programme 
Form Of Engagement Activity A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Other audiences
Results and Impact Our network has created an expert panel of specialists in the chronic pain/neuroscience/neurotechnology space, to essentially mentor between 1-3 mentees over 12 months. Our mentees are mainly post-doc's from institutions across the UK.

The programme is aimed at early career researchers seeking to work through their individual goals and/or objections with a senior mentor. Once a mentee is interested in pursuing this and has signed up via our e-form, the CPNN+ team will match them accordingly with one of their network mentors. We do our upmost to ensure that mentees are best placed with mentors across institutions. Our programme generally allows for mentorship across 12 months in the first instance, typically 2-3 sessions, which can be continued if agreed. A mentorship agreement is also provided by CPNN+ and is completed by both individuals at the onset. This enables both to agree on aspects of the mentorship and to allow the mentee to work towards their desired outcome.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2023,2024
 
Description Nature-based analgesia: A role for immersive virtual reality? British Pain Society 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Postgraduate students
Results and Impact Our Co-Investigator (Sam Hughes) presented our network (CPNN+) at the British Pain Society event in May 2023.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2023
 
Description November 2023 Pan-network neurotechnology meeting with EPSRC / Alan Turing Institute (London) 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact With the EPSRC, we (CPNN+) organised this one-day event to strengthen links with the other neurotechnology networks (CloseNIT - which focused on closed-loop neurotechnology, Neuromod+ - which focused on neuromodulation, Respect for Neurodevelopment (R4N) - which focuses on neurotechnology for people with neurodevelopmental disorders, and N-CODE - which develops digital technology). We linked up with our network partner the Alan Turing Institute, in particular the Clinical AI research network, who kindly acted as hosts at the Turing facilities at the British Library. The meeting focused on responsible innovation, in particular to synergise approaches to PPIE, ethics and inclusivity. What emerged was a clear joint strategy to develop outputs on these core themes, as well as a broader consensus on future priorities and challenges for the UK neurotechnology field as a whole.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2023
 
Description Online autism engagement survey 
Form Of Engagement Activity Engagement focused website, blog or social media channel
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Public/other audiences
Results and Impact This is currently ongoing.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2023
URL https://cpnn.ac.uk/activity/activity-title/
 
Description Oxford Health BRC Pain Conference 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact This two-day hybrid conference included expert presentations and conversations about cutting-edge pain research and discussions on how the latest insights could be applied in clinical practice. The Oxford team hosted a very successful conference at Lady Margaret Hall. The meeting was organised by the NIHR Oxford Health Biomedical Research Centre (BRC), in collaboration with several other of the national BRC's and CPNN+. This brought together researchers and patients to discuss the latest progress on the development of new therapies for chronic pain.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2024
 
Description P.I of CPNN+ presented at Innovate UK Business neurotechnology conference on 27.02.24 in Birmingham 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Industry/Business
Results and Impact Innovate UK Business Connect hosted a neurotechnology conference, with the aim of bringing together innovators in the neurotechnology field. It was an opportunity to hear about the latest innovations in neurotechnology, and network with those developing neurotechnologies in sectors such as health and gaming. As a result, our network was advertised during a short presentation in the afternoon whereby we encouraged people to sign up to our network website and online course.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2024
URL https://web-eur.cvent.com/event/d20349d8-8a56-457b-bc92-91246fc0a877/summary
 
Description Presented CPNN+ at the 'Exeter Brain Network' on September 27th 2023 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Local
Primary Audience Postgraduate students
Results and Impact One of our Co-Investigators presented our Chronic Pain Neurotechnology Network+ at the 'Exeter Brain Network' on September 27th 2023 at Sandy Park in Exeter.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2023
 
Description Presented at OA Tech Network+ 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Postgraduate students
Results and Impact The OA Tech Network was a previous UKRI network, based from Cardiff University, and focusing on multidisciplinary approaches to osteoarthritis with a focus on technology. We gave a platform presentation to introduce CPNN+ to the audience, as a way of linking those interested in OA pain to our new program of activities.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2023
 
Description Virtual Reality for Pain Workshop 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Postgraduate students
Results and Impact This was an interdisciplinary workshop to explore the value and applicability of virtual reality and related technologies to pain. The workshop combined talks across a range of topics including the use of VR to basic and clinical pain research, insights from movement science, the design of novel XR therapies, and the integration of VR technologies and art. The workshop will followed a hybrid format, with the talks taking place in the mornings of 12-14th, and with the practical workshop on the afternoons of 12th and 13th. The event took place at Lady Margaret Hall in Oxford.

Impact was achieved / measured in several ways:
- The hybrid format meant we had a large number of attendees (around 120, with half online)
- We selected around 20 postgraduate students/ECRs for intensive training in VR methods through a practical part of the workshop. Feedback was excellent, rated as 9.2 out of 10 overall. Several of these students are now being mentored in various ways by senior researchers
- We had excellent international engagement, especially with Japan, but also through a new partnership with engineers in Nigeria.
- There was significant industry interest, and this has led to several ongoing discussions about future collaborations.
- The meeting was family-friendly, with childcare available and children welcomed at the social events (dinner). This was very well-received and allowed us to set a precedent for future events.

Overall, this was an extremely successful event. It had been delayed because of the pandemic, but in the end it far exceeded our expectations and much of the impact is ongoing. It brought together people in a way that hadn't been done before, and as the closing event of this award, it also acted as a launch for our new EPSRC Network+ on Chronic Pain Neurotechnology, which is the key follow-on funding from this award. We are very grateful for the extension of the Versus award which allowed us to hold the workshop and get the timing right.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2022
URL https://sites.google.com/view/oxford-vr-workshop/home
 
Description Virtual Reality in Healthcare 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Regional
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact One of our Co-Applicant's (Val Sparkes) organised an in person 'Virtual Reality in Healthcare' event held at Cardiff University on 17th April 2024. With 35 attendees, the above event covered a morning on virtual reality in Healthcare. Our Co-Applicant (Valerie Sparkes) opened the event and also presented on 'Multimodal approaches used in Virtual Reality for LBP - How do we know what works?'. The event also included speakers;
Juan Hernandez Vega presenting on the 'Human-robot interaction, and collaboration via multimodal immersive interfaces' & Soumya Barathi presenting on 'Exergaming' (Exercise controlled gaming). Mohammed Alghamdi from Cardiff's School of Healtcare Sciences , presented on 'Why use immersive virtual reality for chronic pain?', along with a closing workshop held by Mohammad Al Amri (School of Healthcare Sciences).
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2024
 
Description World Arthritis Day (Cardiff) 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact We promoted CPNN+ at the inaugural Musculoskeletal (MSK) Innovations in Wales Conference on 12.10.23 on World Arthritis Day. In response to the significant number of people affected by MSK, the Welsh Government has co-produced the Quality Statement for MSK Health. The Quality Statement for MSK Health sets out the Welsh Government's vision for the development of better MSK care throughout the life-course and across the whole of Wales. The aim of the conference was to gather key stakeholders, professionals, and organisations from the health and social care sector to address the challenges and opportunities in the field of MSK healthcare. The event welcomed keynote speeches from the Minister for Health and Social Services, the Chief Medical Officer for Wales and many others who showcased good practices and innovations in MSK healthcare across Wales.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2023