Neuromodulation : journal of the International Neuromodulation Society
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Objective. This study aims to assess long-term follow-up of efficacy and quality of life for 34 geriatric patients (10 men, 24 women, mean age 72.3 ± 11.6 years) with intrathecal (IT) drug delivery systems (IDDS), implanted between 1994 and 2002, for the treatment of severe noncancer chronic pain. Methods. Patients equal to or older than 64 years, who had no pain relief after administration of a placebo injection (subcutaneous saline), and who responded positively to an IT trial (morphine and bupivacaine at low doses) with pain relief greater 70% without intolerable adverse effects were included into our study. Clinical assessment forms and questionnaires assessing pain intensity, adverse events, complications, concommitent use of analgesics, and doses of IT drugs administered were filled out by our patients prior to and after IT drug delivery implantation. ⋯ Side-effects of therapy were reported by 50% of the patients, the most frequent being constipation (34.4%), drowsiness (21.9%), nausea (21.9%), and urinary retention (18.8%). No side-effects of therapy resulted in removal of the IDDS. Conclusion. The use of IT drug delivery through IDDS for the treatment of non-cancer- and cancer-related pain in geriatric patients is successful.
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Objectives. In spinal cord stimulation (SCS) therapy, limited pain relief during the temporary trial period is generally considered to be predictive of poor long-term benefit. To validate or refute this perception, the long-term outcomes of subjects who reported less than 50% pain relief during a temporary SCS trial were examined. Materials and Methods. Twelve subjects with intractable pain underwent implantation of trial SCS systems. ⋯ SCS appears to be a viable treatment option for patients who fail trials, raising some doubt as to the predictive sensitivity and specificity of the trial period. Thus, although outcome of a temporary trial period may be suggestive of later efficacy with SCS, it may not be the sole predictor of success. Alternatively, the arbitrary benchmark of 50% pain relief that is typically used to define the success of a temporary trial may be too stringent and unreliable.
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It is still debated which neuroimaging technique should be preferred in targeting the subthalamic nucleus (STN) for implantation of stimulating electrodes. In the present study, we systematically analyzed the different imaging techniques and their outcome in reports describing original data on bilateral STN stimulation in advanced Parkinson's disease. Five different imaging techniques to target the STN for implantation of stimulating electrodes were reported: magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), MRI in combination with ventriculography, MRI in combination with computed tomography (CT), CT, and CT in combination with ventriculography. We found that patients who underwent STN deep brain stimulation with MRI (regardless the use of an additional imaging technique) had a significantly better Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale motor score (mean improvement 58%) as compared to patients who underwent STN deep brain stimulation with CT imaging (regardless the use of an additional imaging technique; mean improvement 47%).
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Objectives. Sacral root stimulation (SRS) is a technique to restore the idiopathic overactive bladder (IOB). However, its mechanism of action is yet to be elucidated. Hence, we studied whether SRS restored IOB through the mechanism of spinal neuromodulation. ⋯ This spinal excitability decreased and bladder function improved after SRS, an effect that outlasted actual stimulation by at least 30 min. Conclusions. Our results showed that spinal excitability was increased in response to somatic nociceptive afferents in IOB patients. SRS restored bladder function, at least, in part, through spinal neuromodulation.
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Subcutaneous targeted neuromodulation is one part of the wider new peripheral neuromodulation development in the treatment of neuropathic pain. Although it has not received wider acceptance, there are many reports in the literature of successful use of this technique.