In this study, the investigators main goal is to establish transcutaneous auricular neurostimulation (tAN) as an effective non-invasive neuromodulation method for pain management of post-stroke pain (PSP) and to investigate the brain circuit changes between pre- and post-treatment in individuals with PSP using brain imaging techniques.
Aim 1. Assess the feasibility and efficacy of self-administered, at-home tAN for pain management in stroke survivors with chronic pain compared to sham.
Aim 2. Investigate pain-induced brain activity changes over a one-month tAN treatment to understand the analgesic mechanisms of tAN.
Aim 3. Explore renormalization of brain functional connectivity and dynamic brain state throughout tAN treatment and develop brain imaging biomarkers to track and predict treatment efficacy for chronic post-stroke pain.
