title: Fast left prefrontal rTMS reduces post-gastric bypass surgery pain: findings from a large-scale, double-blind, sham-controlled clinical trial.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  A single session of left prefrontal rTMS has been shown to have analgesic effects, and to reduce post-operative morphine use. We sought to test these findings in a larger sample, and try and see if multiple sessions had additive analgesic benefit.
  
  
  METHODS
  108 patients undergoing laparoscopic gastric bypass surgery received two sessions of 10 Hz rTMS (110% of motor threshold) over the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (one immediately following surgery and one 4 h later). Participants were randomly assigned to receive 2 sessions of real rTMS, 2 sessions of sham, 1 real then 1 sham, or 1 sham then 1 real rTMS treatments. Patients and study staff were blind to rTMS conditions.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Unlike previous rTMS trials for post-operative pain, no differences emerged between groups with respect to total patient-controlled analgesia usage (IV hydromorphone). However, despite no difference in IV analgesic usage, subjects that received 2 real rTMS sessions rated both the affective and sensory dimensions of their pain significantly lower than those in the sham–sham group at several time points during the post-surgical/post-rTMS period.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study suggests that left prefrontal rTMS may produce significant analgesic effects in the perioperative setting. However, further work is needed to understand this effect and attempt to make it clinically useful in light of the lack of effect on PCA hydromorphone use.
authors: Jeffrey J
authors: JJ
authors: Borckardt
authors: Scott T
authors: ST
authors: Reeves
authors: Peggy
authors: P
authors: Kotlowski
authors: James H
authors: JH
authors: Abernathy
authors: Larry C
authors: LC
authors: Field
authors: Luke
authors: L
authors: Dong
authors: Heather
authors: H
authors: Frohman
authors: Haley
authors: H
authors: Moore
authors: Kevin
authors: K
authors: Ryan
authors: Alok
authors: A
authors: Madan
authors: Mark S
authors: MS
authors: George
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000698:Analgesia / Q000379:methods*; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005260:Female; D015390:Gastric Bypass / Q000009:adverse effects*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010149:Postoperative Pain / Q000517:prevention & control*; D017397:Prefrontal Cortex / Q000503:physiopathology; D050781:Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation