Table 1.

Methodological approach for evaluating neurofeedback efficacy in chronic pain management.

Element	Description
Databases searched	PubMed, PsycINFO, Scopus, Web of Science, Google Scholar (including for grey literature).
Keywords used	Main Terms: “Neurofeedback,” “EEG Biofeedback,” “Chronic Pain”; Related Terms: “Pain Management,” “Brainwave Training,” “Neurotherapy”; Specific Conditions: “Neuropathic Pain,” “Fibromyalgia,” “Chronic Back Pain”; Outcome Terms: “Pain Reduction,” “Quality of Life,” “Functional Improvement.”
Combination of keywords	Boolean operators (“AND,” “OR”) were used to combine keywords. For example, “Neurofeedback AND Chronic Pain,” “EEG Biofeedback AND Pain Management.”
Time frame of literature search	Spanning from 2010 to the present (22/01/2024) to balance foundational studies and recent advancements.
Inclusion criteria	Peer-reviewed articles, clinical trials, systematic reviews, and meta-analyses.
Exclusion criteria	Non-English articles, articles without full text available, non-peer-reviewed articles, and studies not specifically addressing the efficacy of neurofeedback in chronic pain.
Screening process	Initial screening based on titles and abstracts; full-text review for selected studies to assess relevance and quality, resulting in a selection of 17 studies.
Quality assessment	The methodological quality of the studies was evaluated using standardized tools such as the PRISMA guidelines for systematic reviews and the CONSORT checklist for clinical trials.
Data extraction and synthesis	Key data such as study design, sample size, intervention details, outcome measures, and results were extracted; then, the data were summarized to provide a comprehensive understanding of the efficacy of neurofeedback in chronic pain management.