scholarly journals Intracranial Neurostimulation for Pain Control: A Review

2010 ◽  
Vol 2;13 (1;2) ◽  
pp. 157-165
Author(s):  
Timothy R. Deer
Keyword(s):  
Chronic Pain ◽  
Neuropathic Pain ◽  
Deep Brain Stimulation ◽  
Motor Cortex ◽  
Brain Stimulation ◽  
Randomized Clinical Trials ◽  
Surgical Techniques ◽  
Motor Cortex Stimulation ◽  
Failed Back Surgery ◽  
Deep Brain

Intracranial neurostimulation for pain relief is most frequently delivered by stimulating the motor cortex, the sensory thalamus, or the periaqueductal and periventricular gray matter. The stimulation of these sites through MCS (motor cortex stimulation) and DBS (deep brain stimulation) has proven effective for treating a number of neuropathic and nociceptive pain states that are not responsive or amenable to other therapies or types of neurostimulation. Prospective randomized clinical trials to confirm the efficacy of these intracranial therapies have not been published. Intracranial neurostimulation is somewhat different than other forms of neurostimulation in that its current primary application is for the treatment of medically intractable movement disorders. However, the increasing use of intracranial neurostimulation for the treatment of chronic pain, especially for pain not responsive to other neuromodulation techniques, reflects the efficacy and relative safety of these intracranial procedures. First employed in 1954, intracranial neurostimulation represents one of the earliest uses of neurostimulation to treat chronic pain that is refractory to medical therapy. Currently, 2 kinds of intracranial neurostimulation are commonly used to control pain: motor cortex stimulation and deep brain stimulation. MCS has shown particular promise in the treatment of trigeminal neuropathic pain and central pain syndromes such as thalamic pain syndrome. DBS may be employed for a number of nociceptive and neuropathic pain states, including cluster headaches, chronic low back pain, failed back surgery syndrome, peripheral neuropathic pain, facial deafferentation pain, and pain that is secondary to brachial plexus avulsion. The unique lack of stimulation-induced perceptual experience with MCS makes MCS uniquely suited for blinded studies of its effectiveness. This article will review the scientific rationale, indications, surgical techniques, and outcomes of intracranial neuromodulation procedures for the treatment of chronic pain. Key words: Motor cortex stimulation, deep brain stimulation, pain, neurostimulation

Deep Brain Stimulation and Motor Cortex Stimulation for Chronic Pain

2020 ◽  
Vol 68 (8) ◽  
pp. 235
Author(s):  
Patrick Senatus ◽  
Sarah Zurek ◽  
Milind Deogaonkar
Keyword(s):  
Chronic Pain ◽  
Deep Brain Stimulation ◽  
Motor Cortex ◽  
Brain Stimulation ◽  
Motor Cortex Stimulation ◽  
Deep Brain

Neuromodulation for Medically Refractory Neuropathic Pain: Spinal Cord Stimulation, Deep Brain Stimulation, Motor Cortex Stimulation, and Posterior Insula Stimulation

2021 ◽  
Vol 146 ◽  
pp. 246-260
Author(s):  
Giovanna Zambo Galafassi ◽  
Pedro Henrique Simm Pires de Aguiar ◽  
Renata Faria Simm ◽  
Paulo Roberto Franceschini ◽  
Marco Prist Filho ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Spinal Cord ◽  
Neuropathic Pain ◽  
Deep Brain Stimulation ◽  
Motor Cortex ◽  
Brain Stimulation ◽  
Spinal Cord Stimulation ◽  
Motor Cortex Stimulation ◽  
Posterior Insula ◽  
Deep Brain

scholarly journals The Current State of Deep Brain Stimulation for Chronic Pain and Its Context in Other Forms of Neuromodulation

2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (8) ◽  
pp. 158 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarah Farrell ◽  
Alexander Green ◽  
Tipu Aziz
Keyword(s):  
Chronic Pain ◽  
Deep Brain Stimulation ◽  
Brain Stimulation ◽  
Study Data ◽  
Anterior Cingulate ◽  
Intractable Pain ◽  
Motor Cortex Stimulation ◽  
Current State ◽  
Professional Opinion ◽  
Deep Brain

Chronic intractable pain is debilitating for those touched, affecting 5% of the population. Deep brain stimulation (DBS) has fallen out of favour as the centrally implantable neurostimulation of choice for chronic pain since the 1970–1980s, with some neurosurgeons favouring motor cortex stimulation as the ‘last chance saloon’. This article reviews the available data and professional opinion of the current state of DBS as a treatment for chronic pain, placing it in the context of other neuromodulation therapies. We suggest DBS, with its newer target, namely anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), should not be blacklisted on the basis of a lack of good quality study data, which often fails to capture the merits of the treatment.

scholarly journals Deep brain stimulation for the treatment of various chronic pain syndromes

2006 ◽  
Vol 21 (6) ◽  
pp. 1-8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dirk Rasche ◽  
Patricia C. Rinaldi ◽  
Ronald F. Young ◽  
Volker M. Tronnier
Keyword(s):  
Spinal Cord ◽  
Chronic Pain ◽  
Neuropathic Pain ◽  
Deep Brain Stimulation ◽  
Brain Stimulation ◽  
Long Term Results ◽  
Pain Syndromes ◽  
Chronic Pain Syndromes ◽  
Deep Brain

Object Electrical intracerebral stimulation (also referred to as deep brain stimulation [DBS]) is a tool for the treatment of chronic pain states that do not respond to less invasive or conservative treatment options. Careful patient selection, accurate target localization, and identification with intraoperative neurophysiological techniques and blinded test evaluation are the key requirements for success and good long-term results. The authors present their experience with DBS for the treatment of various chronic pain syndromes. Methods In this study 56 patients with different forms of neuropathic and mixed nociceptive/neuropathic pain syndromes were treated with DBS according to a rigorous protocol. The postoperative follow-up duration ranged from 1 to 8 years, with a mean of 3.5 years. Electrodes were implanted in the somatosensory thalamus and the periventricular gray region. Before implantation of the stimulation device, a double-blinded evaluation was carefully performed to test the effect of each electrode on its own as well as combined stimulation with different parameter settings. The best long-term results were attained in patients with chronic low-back and leg pain, for example, in so-called failed–back surgery syndrome. Patients with neuropathic pain of peripheral origin (such as complex regional pain syndrome Type II) also responded well to DBS. Disappointing results were documented in patients with central pain syndromes, such as pain due to spinal cord injury and poststroke pain. Possible reasons for the therapeutic failures are discussed; these include central reorganization and neuroplastic changes of the pain-transmitting pathways and pain modulation centers after brain and spinal cord lesions. Conclusions The authors found that, in carefully selected patients with chronic pain syndromes, DBS can be helpful and can add to the quality of life.

scholarly journals Deep Brain Stimulation of the Posterior Insula in Chronic Pain: A Theoretical Framework

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (5) ◽  
pp. 639
Author(s):  
David Bergeron ◽  
Sami Obaid ◽  
Marie-Pierre Fournier-Gosselin ◽  
Alain Bouthillier ◽  
Dang Khoa Nguyen
Keyword(s):  
Chronic Pain ◽  
Electrical Stimulation ◽  
Deep Brain Stimulation ◽  
Brain Stimulation ◽  
High Frequency ◽  
Brain Lesion ◽  
Low Frequency ◽  
Posterior Insula ◽  
Deep Brain ◽  
Stimulation Of

Introduction: To date, clinical trials of deep brain stimulation (DBS) for refractory chronic pain have yielded unsatisfying results. Recent evidence suggests that the posterior insula may represent a promising DBS target for this indication. Methods: We present a narrative review highlighting the theoretical basis of posterior insula DBS in patients with chronic pain. Results: Neuroanatomical studies identified the posterior insula as an important cortical relay center for pain and interoception. Intracranial neuronal recordings showed that the earliest response to painful laser stimulation occurs in the posterior insula. The posterior insula is one of the only regions in the brain whose low-frequency electrical stimulation can elicit painful sensations. Most chronic pain syndromes, such as fibromyalgia, had abnormal functional connectivity of the posterior insula on functional imaging. Finally, preliminary results indicated that high-frequency electrical stimulation of the posterior insula can acutely increase pain thresholds. Conclusion: In light of the converging evidence from neuroanatomical, brain lesion, neuroimaging, and intracranial recording and stimulation as well as non-invasive stimulation studies, it appears that the insula is a critical hub for central integration and processing of painful stimuli, whose high-frequency electrical stimulation has the potential to relieve patients from the sensory and affective burden of chronic pain.

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