[Treatment of chronic pain: transcranial stimulation of the motor cortex?].
Chronic pain refractory to medical therapy poses a therapeutic challenge. The repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (rTMS) and transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) modulate brain activity offering a new approach. Current evidence suggests a potential therapeutic efficacy of motor cortex stimulation for the treatment of pain, but does not (yet) support their recommendation for clinical practice. These methods allow to deepen our knowledge in the pathophysiology of chronic pain while providing new therapeutic approaches.
Laboratoire de neurophysiologie, Unité Nerf-Muscle, Service de neurologie, Département des neurosciences cliniques, CHUV, 1011 Lausanne. David.Benninger@chuv.ch
David
D
Benninger
Thierry
T
Kuntzer
D000698:Analgesia / Q000379:methods; D000700:Analgesics / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002755:Choice Behavior; D059350:Chronic Pain / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D004599:Electric Stimulation Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D009044:Motor Cortex / Q000502:physiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D050781:Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation / Q000379:methods
D000700:Analgesics