The aim of this prospective study was to investigate whether spinal cord stimulation (SCS) significantly reduces pain intensity for up to 18-month follow-up in patients with chronic neuropathic pain. Forty-eight patients were recruited. Patients rated their pain using a Visual analog scale (VAS) and pain-related disability using the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) at baseline (1 week prior to S...

Sympathetic preganglionic neurons and interneurons are closely apposed (presumably synapsed upon) by corticospinal tract (CST) axons. Sprouting of the thoracic CST rostral to lumbar spinal cord injuries (SCI) substantially increases the incidence of these appositions. To test our hypothesis that these additional synapses would increase CST control of sympathetic activity after SCI, we measured ...

BACKGROUND Spinal cord injury has been reported as a rare complication of spinal cord stimulation (SCS). A review of the literature shows a very low incidence of neurological injury after spinal cord stimulation trial, implantation and revision. The most common reported complication is equipment failure without neurologic injury. The incidence of spinal cord injury after SCS trial, implantation...

Autonomic dysreflexia is a condition that develops after spinal cord injury in which potentially life-threatening episodic hypertension is triggered by stimulation of sensory nerves in the body below the site of injury. Central sprouting of small-diameter primary afferent fibers in the dorsal horn of the spinal cord occurs concurrently with the development of this condition. We propose a model ...

Patients with chronic pain after whiplash injury and fibromyalgia patients display exaggerated pain after sensory stimulation. Because evident tissue damage is usually lacking, this exaggerated pain perception could be explained by hyperexcitability of the central nervous system. The nociceptive withdrawal reflex (a spinal reflex) may be used to study the excitability state of spinal cord neuro...

FROM ABSTRACT: Patients with chronic pain after whiplash injury and fibromyalgia patients display exaggerated pain after sensory stimulation. Because evident tissue damage is usually lacking, this exaggerated pain perception could be explained by hyperexcitability of the central nervous system. The nociceptive withdrawal reflex (a spinal reflex) may be used to study the excitability state of sp...

In the past 10 years renewed interest has centered on non-invasive transcutaneous weak direct currents applied over the scalp to modulate cortical excitability ("brain polarization" or transcranial direct current stimulation, tDCS). Extensive literature shows that tDCS induces marked changes in cortical excitability that outlast stimulation. Aiming at developing a new, non-invasive, approach to...