Acta neurochirurgica. Supplement
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Spinal cord stimulation (SCS) has been shown to be particularly useful, safe and effective treatment in the management of patients with refractory angina pectoris and those unsuitable for percutaneous or surgical revascularisation. Clinical and experimental research has shown that it decreases myocardial ischemia without masking the clinical symptoms of its imminent development. ⋯ Patients have reported not only significantly fewer angina attacks but also decreased consumption of glyceryl trinitrate and improved quality of life. A number of mechanisms have been proposed including placebo effects, primary anti-nociceptive effects, involvement of endogenous opiates, anti sympathetic nervous system effects, increases in coronary blood flow, and redistribution of myocardial blood flow.
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Acta Neurochir. Suppl. · Jan 2007
ReviewStimExplorer: deep brain stimulation parameter selection software system.
StimExplorer is a Windows-based software package intended to aid the clinical implementation of deep brain stimulation (DBS) technology. StimExplorer uses detailed computer models to provide a quantitative description of the 3D volume of tissue activated (VTA) by DBS as a function of the stimulation parameters and electrode location within the brain. The stimulation models are tailored to the individual patient by importing their magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data and interactively scaling 3D anatomical nuclei to fit the patient anatomy. ⋯ The software then provides theoretically optimal stimulation parameter suggestions, intended to represent the start point for clinical programming of the DBS device. The software system is packaged into a clinician-friendly graphical user interface that allows for simultaneous interactive 3D visualization of the MRI, anatomical nuclei, DBS electrode, and VTAs for a wide range of stimulation parameter settings (contact, impedance, voltage, pulse width, and frequency). The goals of the StimExplorer system are to educate clinicians on the impact of stimulation parameter manipulation, and improve therapeutic outcomes by providing quantitative anatomical and electrical information useful for customizing DBS to individual patients.
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Acta Neurochir. Suppl. · Jan 2007
ReviewElectrical stimulation and gene-based neuromodulation for control of medically-refractory epilepsy.
The failure of available antiepileptic medications to adequately control seizures in a substantial number of patients underscores the need to develop novel epilepsy therapies. Recent advancements in technology and the success of neuromodulation in treating a variety of neurological disorders have spurred interest in exploring promising therapeutic alternatives, such as electrical stimulation and gene-based synaptic control. A variety of different stimulation approaches to seizure control targeting structures in the central or peripheral nervous system have been investigated. ⋯ Gene delivery to epileptogenic targets or targets implicated in regulating seizure threshold has been investigated as an alternative means of neuromodulation in animal models. In summary, positive preliminary results and the lack of alternative treatment options provide the impetus for further exploration of electrical stimulation and gene-based therapies in pharmacoresistant epilepsy. Various specific targets and approaches to modulating their activity have been investigated in human studies.
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Acta Neurochir. Suppl. · Jan 2007
ReviewDeep brain stimulation and chemical neuromodulation: current use and perspectives for the future.
During the last decade there has been a marked increase in the applications of deep brain stimulation for the treatment of neurological and psychiatric disorders. In addition, the last years were marked by the first studies using the intraparenchymal administration of drugs into the brain. There have been improvements in outcome and an increase in the number of surgical candidates and conditions to be treated. This will act as a driving force to improve the technology applied to design and manufacture new devices.
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Acta Neurochir. Suppl. · Jan 2007
ReviewNeurosurgical pain therapy with epidural spinal cord stimulation (SCS).
Neurosurgical therapy for intractable pain with epidural implantable electrodes has become a widely used and efficient alternative when conservative or less invasive therapies are no longer effective. A complete interdisciplinary work-up is required before considering a patient as a candidate for a spinal cord stimulation (SCS) device. In more than 1300 patients we implanted an SCS device in our clinic; more than 52% reported a significant (>50%) long-term improvement for more than 3 years and a significant reduction in their analgesic drugs. ⋯ Hence. SCS therapy should only be performed in specialized centers. In peripheral vascular disease (PVD) and angina, the initial results are very promising, but the long-term efficacy has to be proven by multicenter studies.