• Sandra G J Boccard, Erlick A C Pereira, Liz Moir, Tim J Van Hartevelt, Morten L Kringelbach, James J FitzGerald, Ian W Baker, Alexander L Green, and Tipu Z Aziz.
• aOxford Functional Neurosurgery and Experimental Neurology Group, Nuffield Departments of Clinical Neuroscience and Surgery bDepartment of Psychiatry, University of Oxford cRussell Cairn Unit, West Wing, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, UK.
• Neuroreport. 2014 Jan 22;25(2):83-8.

AbstractDeep brain stimulation (DBS) has shown promise for relieving nociceptive and neuropathic symptoms of refractory chronic pain. We assessed the efficacy of a new target for the affective component of pain, the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC). A 49-year-old man with neuropathic pain underwent bilateral ACC DBS. Patient-reported outcome measures were collected before and 2 years after surgery using a Visual Analogue Scale, Short-Form 36 quality of life survey, McGill pain questionnaire, EuroQol-5D questionnaires (EQ-5D; Health State) and neuropsychological assessments. The patient improved with DBS. Two years after surgery, the Visual Analogue Scale decreased from 6.7 to 3.0, McGill pain questionnaire improved by 42% and EQ-5D Health State increased by 150%. Stimulating the ACC at 130 Hz, 330 µs and 3 V facilitated neuropathic pain relief. The DBS remained efficacious during the 2-year follow-up period. Affective ACC DBS can relieve chronic neuropathic pain refractory to pharmacotherapy and restore quality of life.

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