Assessing the impact of preferred web app-based music-listening on pain processing at the central nervous level in older black adults with low back pain: An fNIRS study

Background: Low back pain (LBP) disproportionately affects older black adults, often leading to inadequate treatment due to clinician biases. Objective pain measures are imperative, and Functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy (fNIRS) shows promise for pain detection.Aim: To determine the impact of listening to home-based preferred web app-based music on underlying pain processing mechanisms at the central nervous level in older black adults aged >65 with LBP. Methods: Twenty older black adults with LBP listened to preferred music twice daily for four days using the MUSIC CARE (R) app. Neuroimaging data were collected using fNIRS. Data were transformed to changes in oxy-hemoglobin and deoxy-hemoglobin concentrations and analyzed.Results: Significant cortical activation pattern differences were observed between pre-and post-intervention scans, particularly in somatosensory regions. Post-intervention scans showed significantly reduced hemodynamic activities.Conclusion: Preferred music listening has the potential to alleviate pain, and fNIRS emerges as a promising tool for exploring cortical-level pain-related neural circuits.(c) 2023 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.