S1-1. Spinal cord stimulation for post-stroke pain

Spinal cord stimulation (SCS) is used to treat for several types of intractable pain syndromes, but it is not commonly used for treating post-stroke pain. Therefore, in this study, we analyzed the effects of SCS in patients with post-stroke pain. Neurological imaging and pharmacological analysis using thiopental, ketamine and morphine tests were conducted for 30 patients with post-stroke pain. For all patients, percutaneous electrodes were inserted under local anesthesia, and trial stimulation was performed for 5–7days. If the patient experienced pain relief during the trial stimulation, a pulse generator was implanted. Of the 30 patients, 26 (87%) experienced satisfactory pain relief and underwent implantation. Ten patients received dual-octad lead SCS. The stimulation induced adequate paresthesia in all 10 patients. Nine (90%) of the 10 patients experienced satisfactory pain relief and opted for pulse generator implantation in order to proceed with the treatment. Upper cervical SCS was performed for patients with pain in not only the upper and lower extremities but also the face. Upper cervical SCS provided good paresthesia coverage and was effective for such patients. We think that patients with post-stroke pain may respond favorably to dual-octad lead SCS, and advancements in devices for SCS would further improve treatment outcomes for such patients.
Source: Clinical Neurophysiology - Category: Neuroscience Authors: Tags: Society Proceedings Source Type: research