McLaren / Kettering Fibromyalgia Research Program

Seeking solutions to chronic pain through the science of the brain

An experimental treatment called “Neuromodulation”

Let’s summarize a few things we have discovered and/or know from other research about Fibromyalgia and the function of the brain:

1. The central nervous system, particularly the brain, is at least part of the problem.

2. Our own research shows that significant abnormalities in brain function can be detected in the patient’s electroencephalograph, or EEG.

3. Worldwide research studies have shown that the brain responds to stimulation sources, and that stimulation can change or “modulate” the activity of the brain.

Our research asks the fundamental question: “If abnormal brain activity is related to the symptoms of Fibromyalgia, what would happen if we could normalize that activity using neuromodulation?”

To test this, we used the NeuroPoint™ neuromodulation system, an advanced medical instrument that non-invasively provides a unique stimulation signal. That means nothing is implanted like most neuromodulation devices. In fact, nothing ever breaks the skin and the signal is so small the patient cannot feel it.

But it’s what the stimulation signal does to the brain that is important. In theory, the signal is designed to mimic the electrical signal of the brain itself. The idea is to measure the brain’s electrical signal to identify where abnormal function is happening and then apply a neuromodulation signal to that area. The applied signal is designed to represent more normal function of the brain. The goal is to use that signal to “teach” the brain how to function more normally.

As shown on our Research page, we are seeing significant and remarkable results using neuromodulation.

Click on the information panels at the right to learn more about the promising technology of neuromodulation ...