title: Spinal cord stimulation ameliorates neuropathic pain-related sleep disorders: a case series.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Although sleep disorder is one of the most serious comorbidities of refractory chronic pain, it is usually assessed only from the patients' subjective point of view. Therefore, we aimed to objectively evaluate the sleep efficiency of patients with chronic pain.
  
  
  METHODS
  Using an actigraph, a highly sensitive accelerometer, we assessed the sleep efficiency of six patients with chronic pain before and after the introduction of spinal cord stimulation (SCS).
  
  
  RESULTS
  While pain improved in only five out of six patients after SCS, sleep efficiency improved in all cases. Interestingly, in one case, sleep efficiency improved even though pain intensity remained unchanged.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  With the use of an actigraph, improvements in sleep of patients with chronic pain undergoing SCS were demonstrated. One case showing improvement in sleep despite pain palliation may suggest that SCS might have independently affected the sleep system, although further studies are necessary.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Relief Center, University of Tokyo Hospital, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Maiko
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Obuchi
authors.forename: Masahiko
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sumitani
authors.forename: Masahiro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Shin
authors.forename: Kazuhiko
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ishii
authors.forename: Takamichi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kogure
authors.forename: Satoru
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Miyauchi
authors.forename: Yoshitsugu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yamada
mesh_terms: D056044:Actigraphy; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009437:Neuralgia / Q000150:complications*; D012893:Sleep Wake Disorders / Q000209:etiology* / Q000628:therapy*; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000502:physiology*; D062187:Spinal Cord Stimulation / Q000379:methods*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
keywords: Chronic pain; sleep disorder; spinal cord stimulation