Categories
Change Password!
Reset Password!
Motor cortex stimulation offers substantial pain relief, decreases reliance on analgesic medications, and is safe for patients with chronic refractory phantom limb pain.
Phantom limb pain (PLP), a form of chronic neuropathic pain, emerges as a result of limb amputation and has long posed a challenge to clinicians. Despite an array of pharmacological treatments—from opioids to antidepressants and anticonvulsants—many patients continue to suffer from persistent, often excruciating pain. A study by Walter Fagundes and other researchers offered encouraging evidence that motor cortex stimulation (MCS) may provide effective relief for patients with chronic, treatment-resistant PLP.
In this study, 3 patients with long-standing PLP underwent epidural MCS (a neurosurgical technique designed to retrain the brain’s pain response). Under local anesthesia, a quadripolar electrode was implanted over the motor cortex via stereotactic angiography and advanced 3D brain magnetic resonance imaging to guide placement. Neurophysiological testing further confirmed the optimal location for stimulation. Patients were followed for an average of 7 months, with pain levels measured using the visual analog scale (VAS).
Pain levels didn’t just improve—they nearly halved. Overall, 2 patients felt their pain cut by half, while the third reported a 44.4% drop. On average, scores on the VAS plunged from 7.0 to 3.67, marking a statistically significant shift (P = 0.00985). With less pain came less need for medication, as all 3 patients scaled back their use of analgesics. Notably, the procedure carried no major complications, underscoring both its promise and its safety.
What makes MCS especially promising is its adjustability and reversibility—the device can be programmed and adapted to each individual’s needs over time. For those who have cycled through countless medications and conventional therapies with little success, this represents a critical shift toward personalized, brain-directed pain management. These early findings highlight the potential of MCS in boosting the quality of life for amputees and add to the growing interest in neuromodulation as a frontier in chronic pain care.
Surgical Neurology International
Motor cortex stimulation for phantom limb pain treatment
Walter Fagundes et al.
Comments (0)