brainandspinalcord
07-11-2008, 12:28 PM
Deep brain stimulation (DBS) is a surgical treatment involving the implantation of a “brain pacemaker”, a device that sends electrical impulses to areas of the brain, primarily the sensory thalamus, in order to relieve chronic pain.
This procedure is used for pain that medication has had no effect on, as it’s not exactly simple and there can be some unpleasant side effects, in which case the procedure is reversible.
Fine electrode wires are inserted into specific parts of the brain, and then they are used to deliver continuous pulses of electricity to the brain regions that process pain signals. By changing brain activity though the depression of excitatory transmissions in the thalamus, pain is effectively “turned off”.
Success rate is 80% over time.
full review here (http://www.brainandspinalcord.org/blog/2008/07/your-weekly-tech-report-4/)
This procedure is used for pain that medication has had no effect on, as it’s not exactly simple and there can be some unpleasant side effects, in which case the procedure is reversible.
Fine electrode wires are inserted into specific parts of the brain, and then they are used to deliver continuous pulses of electricity to the brain regions that process pain signals. By changing brain activity though the depression of excitatory transmissions in the thalamus, pain is effectively “turned off”.
Success rate is 80% over time.
full review here (http://www.brainandspinalcord.org/blog/2008/07/your-weekly-tech-report-4/)