[Sphenopalatine ganglion stimulation in the treatment of chronic refractory cluster headache. A preliminary multicenter study in Russia]. / Stimulyatsiya krylonebnogo gangliya v lechenii khronicheskoi klasternoi golovnoi boli. Rezul'taty pervogo mul'titsentrovogo opyta v Rossii.

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the results of sphenopalatine ganglion stimulation in treatment of chronic headache. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Medical histories of patients who underwent sphenopalatine ganglion stimulation in 4 clinical centers have been analyzed. The analysis included the type of pain and its characteristics, methods of surgery, CT, MRI, radiography before and after surgery. The follow-up data of patients with implanted pulse generators was collected in an outpatient clinic or by telephone review. RESULTS: The study included 15 patients with chronic refractory headache, including 14 with cluster headache and one female patient with features of trigeminal autonomic cephalgia without a clear definition of the type of pain. Trial stimulation was performed in 10 patients to determine analgesic effect. Among them stimulation was favorable in 7 cases, and 6 of them underwent pulse generator implantation. In total, 11 (73%) patients underwent implantation with a follow-up from 1 to 60 months. Among them only 6 (54%) patients use stimulation, the remaining 5 (46%) cases had device-related complications (migration, infection of system). Cluster headache has a significant improvement in long-term follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: Sphenopalatine ganglion stimulation may have high potential in the treatment of chronic drug-resistant cluster headache. The complication rate demonstrates that operative technique should be improved.

[Chronic sacral neuromodulation for pelvic floor dysfunction in children with spina bifida]. / Lechenie narusheniya funktsii tazovykh organov u detei s mielodisplaziei metodom khronicheskoi sakral'noi neirostimulyatsii.

OBJECTIVE: To estimate the effectiveness of chronic sacral neurostimulation for neurogenic lower urinary tract dysfunction in children with spina bifida. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Eight patients with spina bifida and neurogenic lower urinary tract dysfunction underwent surgical treatment. Three patients had detrusor-sphincter dyssynergia and urinary incontinence. Five patients had detrusor overactivity and urine retention. Conservative treatment was failed in all cases. We implanted quadripolar test electrode on the S3 root through Tuohy needle under fluoroscopic control. Test stimulation was ineffective in three children with detrusor overactivity. Five patients with positive response to stimulation underwent implantation of chronic neurostimulation system. We estimated the efficacy of neurostimulation considering symptoms of neurogenic lower urinary tract dysfunction, urinary diary, PAD test and complex urodynamic examination data. RESULTS: Positive clinical effects were observed in 3 patients with detrusor-sphincter dyssynergia and 2 patients with detrusor overactivity. Clinical effect included improvement in urine leakage and higher bladder volume. In patients with urinary retention, we revealed voluntary urination and less number of daily catheterization procedures. In one patient, clinical effect of chronic stimulation regressed within 3 month after surgery. CONCLUSION: Preliminary results of chronic sacral neuromodulation confirmed its advisability in children with neurogenic lower urinary tract dysfunction. Patients with detrusor-sphincter dyssynergia had better results compared to those with detrusor overactivity.

[Radiosurgical hypophysectomy in cancer pain treatment. Literature review and clinical case]. / Radiokhirurgicheskaya gipofizektomiya v lechenii farmakorezistentnoi onkologicheskoi boli. Obzor literatury i opisanie klinicheskogo sluchaya.

Cancer pain is one of the main problem in modern medicine. According European Society for Medical Oncology data, cancer pain prevalence is 64% among patient with terminal stage of disease and in 46% standard pain therapy was ineffective. Radiosurgical hypophysectomy is one of the important and perspective method in cancer pain treatment. This method could be offered patient with chronic disease. According literature review, endocrinology complications were very rare and occurred 10 months after therapy. Value of analgesic effect was 70-90%. In some trials, procedure was effective not only nociceptive, but also in neuropathic pain. More trials require for determination of indications and mechanism of action. The case of successful relief of resistant pain in patient with pancreatic cancer by means of radiosurgical hypophysectomy is described.

[Spinal cord stimulation in the treatment of chronic pain]. / Khronicheskaya elektrostimulyatsiya spinnogo mozga u patsientov s khronicheskoi bol'yu.

Despite the numerous analgesic drugs, the prevalence of intractable neuropathic pain remains high making up about 5%. Intervention methods, including methods of chronic electrostimulation, are used to treat these patients. Spinal cord stimulation (SCS) is the most common surgical method worldwide that replaced destructive and ablation procedures. Currently, common tonic SCS, HF-10 stimulation and burst SCS are applied, and the choice of method is based on clinical and neurophysiological data. Also, the introduction of nanomaterial-enabled neural stimulation could significantly minimize surgery risk.

[The use of surgical neuromodulation to treat chronic pelvic pain]. / Primenenie khirurgicheskoi neiromoduliatsii dlia lecheniia khronicheskoi tazovoi boli.

Chronic pelvic pain (CPP) is a pain syndrome that is very difficult to treat. The effectiveness of CPP treatment remains low despite the use of integrated approaches. That is why it is necessary to search for new treatment approaches and methods. Surgical neuromodulation has recently been used increasingly often to treat CPP. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effectiveness of different types of neurostimulation in patients with chronic pelvic pain. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Thirty-two patients were treated at the N.N. Burdenko National Scientific and Practical Center for Neurosurgery. All the patients were diagnosed with CPP and transferred to the Center because of unsatisfactory results of earlier treatment. The mean duration of pain was 8.6 years (range: 1-31 years). Pain intensity and the neuropathic component of the pain syndrome were assessed using the conventional scales and questionnaires (VAS, LANSS, Pain Detect, and DN4). The levels of anxiety, depression, and catastrophic pain were also assessed. The effect of pain on quality of life was evaluated using the modified Brief Pain Inventory (BPI). All the selected patients underwent trial lead implantation at the first stage. Sacral root stimulation was used in 15 patients (unilateral one in 8 patients and bilateral one in 7 patients); three patients underwent spinal cord stimulation; 14 patients were treated with combined neurostimulation. RESULTS: In 27 (84.37%) patients, the trial period was regarded as positive and the systems were implanted for chronic neurostimulation. After one year of stimulation, the mean VAS score for pain intensity was 3.53 (compared to 8.61 before the surgery). Regarding quality of life, the most significant effects of treatment were as follows: the number of pain paroxysms was reduced; physical self-maintenance, social life, sleep, and sexual activity were improved; and daily physical activity was increased. CONCLUSION: . Neurostimulation ensures a stable pain relief and improves quality of life in patients with chronic pelvic pain refractory to conservative treatment.

[Complications of intrathecal baclofen therapy]. / Oslozhneniya intratekal'noi terapii baklofenom.

AIM: To analyze complications of intrathecal baclofen therapy and identify high-risk groups. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We implanted 52 pumps to spastic patients for chronic intrathecal baclofen infusion. Two groups of patients were distinguished: 23 patients with spinal spasticity (group 1) and 29 patients with cerebral spasticity (group 2). The mean patient age was 37.2±14.6 years in group 1 and 17.3±10.3 years in group 2. Surgery was performed according to a standard procedure. A Medstream (Codman) pump was implanted in 10 cases, and a Synchromed II (Medtronic) pump was implanted in the remaining 42 cases. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: Complications developed in 12 (23%) patients. We divided complications into 3 groups: baclofen underdose, baclofen overdose, and others. Insufficiency of intrathecal therapy was observed in 7 cases, which was caused by catheter migration (5 cases) and pump dysfunction (2 cases). In one case, baclofen overdose was observed after air travel. Other complications included 4 cases of persistent peri-implant seroma and infectious complications. Groups with a high risk of complications were identified based on an analysis of the results. Patients with severe dystonia of the trunk muscles have an increased risk of spinal catheter migration. Pronounced communicating hydrocephalus is associated with the risk of cerebrospinal fluid leak through a catheter shaft channel. Weakness of the axial musculature can lead to progression of scoliotic deformity. CONCLUSION: In some cases, chronic intrathecal baclofen therapy can be accompanied by various complications. This technique should be carefully used in patients from high-risk groups.

TREATMENT OF LOCAL RADIATION LESIONS IN BREAST CANCER PATIENTS.

The purpose of this paper is the demonstration and analysis of the effectiveness of spinal cord stimulation in treatment of chronic drug-resistant neuropathy pain in a patient with radiation-induced plexopathy. She underwent radiation therapy for cancer of the right breast in 2000. Ten years later she complained with pain and weakness her right arm. After physical examination and investigation right-side brachial plexopathy was diagnosed. Antidepressant and anticonvulsant had positive effect during one year but then pain appeared again. That is why the patient has been implanted the system of epidural electrostimulation of thickening of the cervical spinal cord. During the post-operative period significant improvement of pain relief was noted. The doses of analgesics were decreased. Spinal cord stimulation efficacy for treatment of chronic pain was repeatedly proved in clinical investigation and meta-analyses. Nevertheless spinal cord stimulation effects on radiation-induced neurological disorders and possible pathophysiological mechanisms are not enough examined. All these facts require further investigation.

[Results of motor cortex stimulation in the treatment of chronic pain syndromes].

AIM: The article is aimed to demonstrate our experience in motor cortex stimulation (MCS) in patients with chronic neuropathic pain syndromes, assess the clinical efficacy of the technique in short-term and long-term follow-up, and analyze potential predictors of the MCS efficacy. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Twenty patients were implanted with MCS electrodes at the Burdenko Neurosurgical Institute in the period between 2004 and 2014. The mean age of patients was 52 years (26 to 74 years). The patients suffered from neuropathic pain syndromes of different genesis (post-stroke, multiple sclerosis, atypical facial pain, phantom limb pain, brachial plexus injury, spinal cord injury, complex regional pain syndrome I). All patients underwent neurological examination with verification of neuropathic pain (DN4, Pain Detect, LANSS). The pain intensity and its effect on quality of life were assessed before operation and during follow-up according to 10-point visual-analog scales (modified Brief Pain Inventory). Before surgery, all patients underwent several repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) sessions. After implantation of epidural electrodes, test MCS was performed. RESULTS: Test stimulation was positive in 19 (95%) patients. All these patients were implanted with a chronic MCS system. The mean follow-up was 49.3 months (from 3 to 96 months). In short-term follow-up (fist 6 months), a positive result of MCS was observed in 17 patients, and a reduction in the pain intensity ranged from 37.5% to 90%. In long-term follow up (from 12 to 96 months), 14 patients had positive MCS RESULTS: and a reduction in the pain intensity amounted to 25% to 60%. All patients with positive MCS results received significantly decreased doses of opioids and tramadol. Two patients developed infectious complications, but there was no neurological deficit. Analysis of the factors affecting the efficacy of motor cortex stimulation did not reveal a statistically significant effect of rTMS and the presence and intensity of motor deficit. CONCLUSION: Chronic epidural MCS is an effective and safety method for the treatment of some chronic neurogenic medically-refractory pain syndromes. Further research is necessary to specify the patient selection criteria and the MCS efficacy predictors.