Patient-controlled deep brain stimulation can overcome analgesic tolerance.
We report a technique based on patient-controlled stimulation to restore analgesia after development of tolerance to deep brain stimulation (DBS). A 45-year-old female with neurogenic pain after cerebellar stroke underwent DBS implantation in the right ventralis caudalis (VC) thalamus with excellent stimulus-controlled analgesia for 29 months, followed by development of tolerance and loss of analgesia. Analgesia was restored when a stimulation module that allowed patient-controlled stimulation was implanted.
Romanelli
Pantaleo
P
Department of Neurosurgery, Stanford University Medical Center, CA 94305-5327, USA.
Heit
Gary
G
D016058:Analgesia, Patient-Controlled / Q000379:methods* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D004599:Electric Stimulation Therapy / Q000379:methods* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D059408:Pain Management; D020651:Ventral Thalamic Nuclei / Q000502:physiology*