Neuromodulation : journal of the International Neuromodulation Society
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The aim of the current study was to evaluate the effect of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) on cold pain perception in healthy individuals. ⋯ Anodal stimulation of the primary motor area can be utilized to alleviate cold pain perception in healthy individuals.
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The study aims to characterize the electrical response of dorsal column axons to depolarizing stimuli to help understand the mechanisms of spinal cord stimulation (SCS) for the relief of chronic pain. ⋯ Amplitude of sheep Aβ fiber potentials during SCS exhibit dependence on electrode location, highlighting potential optimization of Aβ recruitment and power consumption in SCS devices.
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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.
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Neural stimulation may provide analgesia for a variety of painful conditions. Activation of primary sensory neurons, which underlies pain relief by spinal cord stimulation, also may be achieved by stimulation at the level of the dorsal root ganglion (DRG). The DRG also is a site of pain pathogenesis, particularly in neuropathic pain. We therefore examined the hypothesis that field stimulation of the DRG directly suppresses excitability of sensory neurons. ⋯ Our findings indicate that direct excitation of the DRG by electrical fields reduces neuronal excitability and may provide a new analgesic approach.
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Electrical stimulation has been used for many years for the treatment of pain. Present-day research demonstrates that stimulation targets and parameters impact the induction of specific pain-modulating mechanisms. New targets are increasingly being investigated clinically, but the scientific rationale for a particular target is often not well established. This present study compares the behavioral effects of targeting peripheral axons by electrode placement in the subcutaneous space vs. electrode placement on the surface of the skin in a rodent model. ⋯ The results presented show that TENS and SQS have different effects that could point to unique biologic mechanisms underlying the analgesic effect of each therapy. Furthermore, this study is the first to demonstrate in an animal model that SQS attenuates neuropathic and inflammatory-induced pain behaviors.