Neuromodulation : journal of the International Neuromodulation Society
-
Comparative Study
Comparison between pharmacologic evaluation and repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation-induced analgesia in poststroke pain patients.
It has been reported that poststroke pain has a complex pharmacologic background and that only about one-half of poststroke pain patients are sensitive to motor cortex stimulation induced by repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS). ⋯ rTMS-induced VAS score reduction correlated well with morphine, ketamine, and thiopental tests. However, ketamine sensitivity was observed in more cases compared with morphine and thiopental in poststroke pain patients. We speculate that additional pharmacologic therapy using ketamine as determined on the basis of the ketamine test may be useful for enhancing the efficacy of rTMS in poststroke pain patients.
-
Case Reports
Effects of responsive electrical brain stimulation on intracranial electroencephalogram spikes.
Responsive cortical electrical stimulation with implanted devices is under investigation for seizures. While designed to terminate seizures, might this stimulation also affect the underlying epileptic process of seizure generation? ⋯ Changes in spike occurrence, organization, and topography with stimulation suggest the eRNS affected spike generation and may affect the underlying interictal epileptic process. Case-to-case variability may be due to individual patient factors, and its significance is yet to be determined.
-
Pain due to peripheral neuropathy is extremely difficult to treat as drugs often become less and less effective over the course of a patient's life. In order to augment such treatments, electrical stimulation has become relatively common, in the form of transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation, peripheral nerve stimulation, and spinal cord stimulation. Unfortunately, these treatments are only effective in a subset of chronic pain patients. ⋯ Complete, reversible block of pain-induced reflex potentiation was obtained in all five nerves tested. This method could be applicable to the control of pain in patients with peripheral neuropathy.
-
The study was performed to test the hypothesis that high-frequency alternating current (HFAC) ranging from 2 to 100 kHz delivered to the spinal dorsal roots reduces activity of spinal wide dynamic range (WDR) dorsal horn neurons (DHNs) during noxious peripheral stimulation. ⋯ Delivery of HFAC to the region of epidural nerve root or nerve root entry inhibited afferent nociceptive input and therefore may have potential to serve as an alternative to traditional spinal cord stimulation without sensory paresthesia as neuronal activation cannot occur at frequencies in this range.