Abstract
Chronic electrical stimulation of the precentral (motor) cortex using surgically implanted electrodes is performed to treat medication-resistant neurogenic pain. The goal of this placebo-controlled study was to obtain such antalgic effects by means of a non-invasive cortical stimulation using repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS). Eighteen patients with intractable neurogenic pain of various origins were included and underwent a 20 min session of either 10 Hz, 0.5 Hz or* sham rTMS over the motor cortex in a random order. A significant decrease in the mean pain level of the series was obtained only after 10 Hz rTMS. This study shows that a transient pain relief can be induced by 10 Hz rTMS of the motor cortex in some patients suffering from chronic neurogenic pain.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov:80/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=11588611&dopt=Abstract
Neuroreport 2001 Sep 17;12(13):2963-5
Lefaucheur JP, Drouot X, Keravel Y, Nguyen JP.
Services de Physiologie, Explorations Fonctionnelles, Hopital Henri Mondor, 51 avenue de Lattre de Tassigny, 94010 Creteil, France.
