Clinical study on tension headaches underway
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A major clinical study on biofeedback and tension headaches is currently underway at several Norwegian hospitals. The study, called BioTenCer, uses sensors and an app provided by Cenli and Nordic Brain Tech as the technical solution for the biofeedback intervention.
We are proud that our equipment is being used in a research project of this size and quality, and that further research is being conducted on biofeedback as a form of treatment in neurology.
A large multicenter study
BioTenCer is a planned multicenter study involving 300 patients over a period of three years. The study investigates digital, home-based, and therapist-independent biofeedback as a preventive treatment for patients with frequent and chronic tension headaches.
The study is sponsored by Helse Nord-Trøndelag (HNT) and led from Namsos Hospital, which is also one of the five study centers.
The study has now begun, and the study centers are starting up continuously. The following hospitals are planned to be included in the study:
- Namsos Hospital (Health North Trøndelag, HNT)
- St. Olav's Hospital (StOH), Trondheim
- University Hospital of North Norway (UNN), Tromsø
- Akershus University Hospital (Ahus), Lørenskog
- Haukeland University Hospital (HUS), Bergen
This makes BioTenCer one of the larger Norwegian clinical studies on biofeedback in this field, and builds on experiences from the already completed BioCer study on biofeedback for episodic migraine.
Brief description of the BioTenCer study
BioTenCer is a randomized, waiting list-controlled, multicenter study investigating the safety and efficacy of a home-based, app-based, therapist-independent biofeedback treatment for patients with frequent and chronic tension headaches.
In the study, participants perform home-based biofeedback using sensors and a mobile app. The treatment is therapist-independent and performed by the patient themselves. Around 300 adult patients are randomized to either active treatment or a waiting list control. The treatment group performs daily 10-minute biofeedback sessions over 12 weeks. The study uses digital headache diaries and standardized endpoints to evaluate changes in headache burden over time.
PhD work and international academic presentation
The BioTenCer study is part of a doctoral thesis led by Kristina Devik, senior consultant in neurology and PhD fellow at Namsos Hospital, Helse Nord-Trøndelag (HNT).
The study protocol was presented internationally by Kristina Devik at the European Headache Congress (EHC) 2025 in Lisbon, Portugal, in December. The presentation helps to share the study design and methodology with the international professional community within headache and neurology.
The PhD work contributes to building more systematic knowledge about how home-based, therapist-independent biofeedback can be used in clinical practice for patients with tension headaches.
Important research in a growing field
Biofeedback and regulation of the autonomic nervous system is a rapidly developing field, where there is still a need for larger, well-designed clinical studies. The fact that this type of research is now being conducted as a multicenter study in the Norwegian specialist health service and presented internationally is both important and gratifying.
For us at Cenli and Nordic Brain Tech, it is very motivating to see our technology being used in independent research and considered relevant in medical practice. We are following the study with great interest and look forward to learning more as the project progresses.
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Note: Cenli is a supplier of equipment and software for the BioTenCer study, but does not act as a sponsor.
The study is registered on ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT07136740).
Full study title: Therapist-Independent Home-Based Biofeedback as Preventive Treatment for Tension-Type Headache
More information about the study and participation can be found on the Helse Nord-Trøndelag website: https://www.hnt.no/kliniske-studier/hjemmebasert-biofeedback-som-forebyggende-behandling-av-spenningshodepine/