Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) for phantom limb pain - case report
Journal Title: BÓL - Year 2014, Vol 15, Issue 1
Abstract
Chronic pain treatment with transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) can be effective in chronic pain treatment, according to the recent years publications. In this technique the weak current, causing only a moderate change in the polarity and excitability of the cortex laying under the stimulating electrode is being used. Positive, anodal stimulation increased the level of excitation, cathodal stimulation causes inhibition of the excitation. The efficacy of transcranial direct current stimulation was confirmed in studies in patients with central pain after stroke, pain after spinal cord injury, visceral pain, migraine headaches, complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS), fibromyalgia, phantom pain. Limb amputation may lead to chronic painful sensations referred to the absent limb (phantom limb pain). This phenomenon is probably caused by the reorganization of the cerebral cortex, particularly in the motor cortex and primary somatosensory cortex (this changes include increase of neuronal excitability and decrease of GABA activity). Phantom limb pain is often refractory to the treatment, therefore treatment with the tDCS can be useful for this patients. In presented case the tDCS was used for the treatment of the patients suffering for the phantom limb pain after traumatic amputation of the left lower limb. Previously applied therapy wasn’t effective. Pharmacotherapy caused unacceptable side effects. In this patients the anodal tDCS technique performed 10-times over the motor cortex and primary somatosensory cortex resulted in clinically significant improvement: reduced frequency of phantom limb pain episodes, pain intensity was lower compared with the period before stimulation.
Authors and Affiliations
Anna Przeklasa-Muszyńska
Keywords
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- EP ID EP69163
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