title: Spinal cord stimulation: neurophysiological and neurochemical mechanisms of action.
abstract: Chronic neuropathic pain can significantly reduce quality of life and place an economic burden on individuals and society. Spinal cord stimulation (SCS) is an alternative approach to the treatment of neuropathic pain when standard pharmacological agents have failed. However, an improved understanding of the mechanisms by which SCS inhibits pain is needed to enhance its clinical utility. This review summarizes important findings from recent studies of SCS in animal models of neuropathic pain, highlights current understanding of the spinal neurophysiological and neurochemical mechanisms by which SCS produces an analgesic effect, and discusses the potential clinical applicability of these findings and future directions for research.
authors.affiliation: Division of Pain Medicine, Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, 720 Rutland Avenue, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA. yguan1@jhmi.edu
authors.forename: Yun
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Guan
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D059350:Chronic Pain / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D004599:Electric Stimulation Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D051379:Mice; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D023421:Models, Animal; D009437:Neuralgia / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D051381:Rats; D044282:Receptor, Serotonin, 5-HT1A / Q000187:drug effects; D013119:Spinal Cord Injuries / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D005680:gamma-Aminobutyric Acid / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D044282:Receptor, Serotonin, 5-HT1A; D005680:gamma-Aminobutyric Acid