Buono receives Department of Defense grant to study mobile phone application for NF1

Author: Phsychiatry

Published On: 04/11/2019

Frank Buono, PhD, Associate Research Scientist in Psychiatry, has been awarded a three-year grant to evaluate whether a mobile phone application can reduce pain in adults with Neurofibromatosis Type 1 (NF1).

NF1 is an autosomal dominant genetic condition that affects one in approximately 2,500 people. Over 50 percent of people with NF1 report significant pain and discomfort, and 15 percent use pharmacological interventions. Sixty percent have had at least one surgical procedure in the last year to treat persistent pain.

Buono will collaborate with other researchers to determine whether a mobile phone application called iCanCope can reduce pain severity and pain interference in adults with NF1 by customizing currently utilized cognitive behavior therapy and mind-body alternative approaches. The mobile phone application will attempt to facilitate new skills for people with NF1 in managing their pain.

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