Thalamic-Burst-DBS for Neuropathic Pain

"Patients undergo stereotactic implantation of DBS electrodes in the thalamus under local anesthesia. The DBS electrodes will be connected to an external pacemaker for a time period of four weeks. On the first day following surgery, patients will undergo an empirical clinical testing of the stimulation parameter settings. At the same day patients will undergo somatosensory- and contact heat-evoked potential recording for phenotype-stratification (post-hoc analysis).During the next 24 days with the electrodes externalized and connected to the external pacemaker, patients will be randomly assigned in a 1:1 ratio to one of the two groups that undergo two blocks of stimulation:~12 days of of Burst-stimulation followed by 12 days active tonic stimulation (Burst-DBS -\> tonic-DBS) Between each stimulation block the stimulator will be switched off for one day to prevent any hang-over effects of stimulation (wash-out period)."

"Patients undergo stereotactic implantation of DBS electrodes in the thalamus under local anesthesia. The DBS electrodes will be connected to an external pacemaker for a time period of four weeks. On the first day following surgery, patients will undergo an empirical clinical testing of the stimulation parameter settings. At the same day patients will undergo somatosensory- and contact heat-evoked potential recording for phenotype-stratification (post-hoc analysis).During the next 24 days with the electrodes externalized and connected to the external pacemaker, patients will be randomly assigned in a 1:1 ratio to one of the two groups that undergo two blocks of stimulation:~12 days of active tonic stimulation followed by 12 days of Burst-stimulation (tonic-DBS -\> Burst-DBS) Between each stimulation block the stimulator will be switched off for one day to prevent any hang-over effects of stimulation (wash-out period)."