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Suzuki Y, Kiyosawa M, Wakakura M, Ishii K. Hyperactivity of the medial thalamus in patients with photophobia-associated migraine. Headache 2024; 64:1005-1014. [PMID: 39023425 DOI: 10.1111/head.14785] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2023] [Revised: 04/14/2024] [Accepted: 04/17/2024] [Indexed: 07/20/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To examine cerebral functional alterations associated with sensory processing in patients with migraine and constant photophobia. BACKGROUND Migraine is a common headache disorder that presents with photophobia in many patients during attacks. Furthermore, some patients with migraine experience constant photophobia, even during headache-free intervals, leading to a compromised quality of life. METHODS This prospective, case-control study included 40 patients with migraine (18 male and 22 female) who were recruited at an eye hospital and eye clinic. The patients were divided into two groups: migraine with photophobia group, consisting of 22 patients (10 male and 12 female) with constant photophobia, and migraine without photophobia group, consisting of 18 patients (eight male and 10 female) without constant photophobia. We used 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose and positron emission tomography to compare cerebral glucose metabolism between the two patient groups and 42 healthy participants (16 men and 26 women). RESULTS Compared with the healthy group, both the migraine with photophobia and migraine without photophobia groups showed cerebral glucose hypermetabolism in the bilateral thalamus (p < 0.05, family-wise error-corrected). Moreover, the contrast of migraine with photophobia minus migraine without photophobia patients showed glucose hypermetabolism in the bilateral medial thalamus (p < 0.05, family-wise error-corrected). CONCLUSIONS The medial thalamus may be associated with the development of continuous photophobia in patients with migraine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yukihisa Suzuki
- Japan Community Health Care Organization, Mishima General Hospital, Mishima, Shizuoka, Japan
- Research Team for Neuroimaging, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Gerontology, Tokyo, Japan
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Tokyo, Japan
| | | | | | - Kenji Ishii
- Research Team for Neuroimaging, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Gerontology, Tokyo, Japan
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Ahmed AK, Zhuo J, Gullapalli RP, Jiang L, Keaser ML, Greenspan JD, Chen C, Miller TR, Melhem ER, Sansur CA, Eisenberg HM, Gandhi D. Focused Ultrasound Central Lateral Thalamotomy for the Treatment of Refractory Neuropathic Pain: Phase I Trial. Neurosurgery 2024; 94:690-699. [PMID: 37947407 DOI: 10.1227/neu.0000000000002752] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2023] [Accepted: 09/19/2023] [Indexed: 11/12/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES Magnetic resonance-guided focused ultrasound (MRgFUS) central lateral thalamotomy (CLT) has not yet been validated for treating refractory neuropathic pain (NP). Our aim was to assess the safety and potential efficacy of MRgFUS CLT for refractory NP. METHODS In this prospective, nonrandomized, single-arm, investigator-initiated phase I trial, patients with NP for more than 6 months related to phantom limb pain, spinal cord injury, or radiculopathy/radicular injury and who had undergone at least one previous failed intervention were eligible. The main outcomes were safety profile and pain as assessed using the brief pain inventory, the pain disability index, and the numeric rating scale. Medication use and the functional connectivity of the default mode network (DMN) were also assessed. RESULTS Ten patients were enrolled, with nine achieving successful ablation. There were no serious adverse events and 12 mild/moderate severity events. The mean age was 50.9 years (SD: 12.7), and the mean symptom duration was 12.3 years (SD: 9.7). Among eight patients with a 1-year follow-up, the brief pain inventory decreased from 7.6 (SD: 1.1) to 3.8 (SD: 2.8), with a mean percent decrease of 46.3 (SD: 40.6) (paired t -test, P = .017). The mean pain disability index decreased from 43.0 (SD: 7.5) to 25.8 (SD: 16.8), with a mean percent decrease of 39.3 (SD: 41.6) ( P = .034). Numeric rating scale scores decreased from a mean of 7.2 (SD: 1.8) to 4.0 (SD: 2.8), with a mean percent decrease of 42.8 (SD: 37.8) ( P = .024). Patients with predominantly intermittent pain or with allodynia responded better than patients with continuous pain or without allodynia, respectively. Some patients decreased medication use. Resting-state functional connectivity changes were noted, from disruption of the DMN at baseline to reactivation of connectivity between DMN nodes at 3 months. CONCLUSION MRgFUS CLT is feasible and safe for refractory NP and has potential utility in reducing symptoms as measured by validated pain scales.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abdul-Kareem Ahmed
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore , Maryland , USA
| | - Jiachen Zhuo
- Department of Diagnostic Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore , Maryland , USA
| | - Rao P Gullapalli
- Department of Diagnostic Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore , Maryland , USA
| | - Li Jiang
- Department of Diagnostic Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore , Maryland , USA
| | - Michael L Keaser
- Department of Neural and Pain Sciences, University of Maryland School of Dentistry, Baltimore , Maryland , USA
- Center to Advance Chronic Pain Research, University of Maryland, Baltimore , Maryland , USA
| | - Joel D Greenspan
- Department of Neural and Pain Sciences, University of Maryland School of Dentistry, Baltimore , Maryland , USA
- Center to Advance Chronic Pain Research, University of Maryland, Baltimore , Maryland , USA
| | - Chixiang Chen
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore , Maryland , USA
- Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore , Maryland , USA
| | - Timothy R Miller
- Department of Diagnostic Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore , Maryland , USA
| | - Elias R Melhem
- Department of Diagnostic Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore , Maryland , USA
| | - Charles A Sansur
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore , Maryland , USA
| | - Howard M Eisenberg
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore , Maryland , USA
| | - Dheeraj Gandhi
- Department of Diagnostic Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore , Maryland , USA
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Chang SJ, Bari AA. Commentary: Focused Ultrasound Central Lateral Thalamotomy for the Treatment of Refractory Neuropathic Pain: Phase I Trial. Neurosurgery 2024; 94:e48-e49. [PMID: 37947416 DOI: 10.1227/neu.0000000000002753] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2023] [Accepted: 10/02/2023] [Indexed: 11/12/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Stephano J Chang
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles , California , USA
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Simmons G, Gallitto M, Lee A, Baltuch G, Youngerman BE, Wang TJC. The Use of Stereotactic Radiosurgery to Treat Functional Disorders: A Topic Discussion. Pract Radiat Oncol 2023; 13:e395-e399. [PMID: 37263538 DOI: 10.1016/j.prro.2023.05.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2023] [Revised: 04/25/2023] [Accepted: 05/02/2023] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
Stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) is a well-known modality for the treatment of malignant brain tumors. SRS, however, can also be used to treat non-malignant functional disorders such as epilepsy, tremor, trigeminal neuralgia (TN), obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), and intractable pain among others. Given the limited prospective data guiding treatment of these benign disorders, this article serves as a consolidated discussion of the application of SRS for functional ailments, hopefully serving as a reference for those considering application of this technique in clinical practice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Grace Simmons
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York
| | - Matthew Gallitto
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York
| | - Albert Lee
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York
| | - Gordon Baltuch
- Department of Neurological Surgery, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York
| | - Brett E Youngerman
- Department of Neurological Surgery, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York
| | - Tony J C Wang
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York.
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Kinfe T. MR-guided high-intensity focused ultrasound for chronic pain: where do we stand? Expert Rev Neurother 2023; 23:757-761. [PMID: 37556732 DOI: 10.1080/14737175.2023.2246659] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2023] [Revised: 08/03/2023] [Accepted: 08/07/2023] [Indexed: 08/11/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Kinfe
- Division of Functional Neurosurgery and Stereotaxy, Friedrich-Alexander University (FAU) Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
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Franzini A, Ninatti G, Rossini Z, Tropeano MP, Clerici E, Navarria P, Pessina F, Picozzi P. Gamma Knife Central Lateral Thalamotomy for Chronic Neuropathic Pain: A Single-Center, Retrospective Study. Neurosurgery 2023; 92:363-369. [PMID: 36637271 DOI: 10.1227/neu.0000000000002211] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2022] [Accepted: 08/31/2022] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Chronic neuropathic pain can be severely disabling and is difficult to treat. The medial thalamus is believed to be involved in the processing of the affective-motivational dimension of pain, and lesioning of the medial thalamus has been used as a potential treatment for neuropathic pain. Within the medial thalamus, the central lateral nucleus has been considered as a target for stereotactic lesioning. OBJECTIVE To study the safety and efficacy of central lateral thalamotomy using Gamma Knife radiosurgery (GKRS) for the treatment of neuropathic pain. METHODS We retrospectively reviewed all patients with neuropathic pain who underwent central lateral thalamotomy using GKRS. We report on patient outcomes, including changes in pain scores using the Numeric Pain Rating Scale and Barrow Neurological Institute pain intensity score, and adverse events. RESULTS Twenty-one patients underwent central lateral thalamotomy using GKRS between 2014 and 2021. Meaningful pain reduction occurred in 12 patients (57%) after a median period of 3 months and persisted in 7 patients (33%) at the last follow-up (the median follow-up was 28 months). Rates of pain reduction at 1, 2, 3, and 5 years were 48%, 48%, 19%, and 19%, respectively. Meaningful pain reduction occurred more frequently in patients with trigeminal deafferentation pain compared with all other patients (P = .009). No patient had treatment-related adverse events. CONCLUSION Central lateral thalamotomy using GKRS is remarkably safe. Pain reduction after this procedure occurs in a subset of patients and is more frequent in those with trigeminal deafferentation pain; however, pain recurs frequently over time.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Franzini
- Department of Neurosurgery, IRCCS Humanitas Research Hospital, Rozzano, Italy
| | - Gaia Ninatti
- Department of Neurosurgery, IRCCS Humanitas Research Hospital, Rozzano, Italy.,Department of Biomedical Sciences, Humanitas University, Rozzano, Italy
| | - Zefferino Rossini
- Department of Neurosurgery, IRCCS Humanitas Research Hospital, Rozzano, Italy
| | - Maria Pia Tropeano
- Department of Neurosurgery, IRCCS Humanitas Research Hospital, Rozzano, Italy
| | - Elena Clerici
- Department of Radiation Oncology, IRCCS Humanitas Research Hospital, Rozzano, Italy
| | - Pierina Navarria
- Department of Radiation Oncology, IRCCS Humanitas Research Hospital, Rozzano, Italy
| | - Federico Pessina
- Department of Neurosurgery, IRCCS Humanitas Research Hospital, Rozzano, Italy.,Department of Biomedical Sciences, Humanitas University, Rozzano, Italy
| | - Piero Picozzi
- Department of Neurosurgery, IRCCS Humanitas Research Hospital, Rozzano, Italy
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Allam AK, Larkin MB, McGinnis JP, Viswanathan A. Neuroablative central lateral thalamotomy for chronic neuropathic pain. FRONTIERS IN PAIN RESEARCH 2022; 3:999891. [PMID: 36176711 PMCID: PMC9513204 DOI: 10.3389/fpain.2022.999891] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2022] [Accepted: 08/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Chronic neuropathic pain refractory to medical management can be debilitating and can seriously affect one's quality of life. The interest of ablative surgery for the treatment or palliation of chronic neuropathic pain, cancer-related or chemotherapy-induced, has grown. Numerous regions along the nociceptive pathways have been prominent targets including the various nuclei of the thalamus. Traditional targets include the medial pulvinar, central median, and posterior complex thalamic nuclei. However, there has been little research regarding the role of the central lateral nucleus. In this paper, we aim to summarize the anatomy, pathophysiology, and patient experiences of the central lateral thalamotomy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anthony K. Allam
- School of Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United States
| | - M. Benjamin Larkin
- Department of Neurosurgery, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United States
| | - John P. McGinnis
- Department of Neurosurgery, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Ashwin Viswanathan
- Department of Neurosurgery, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United States
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Texas, MD Anderson, Houston, TX, United States
- Correspondence: Ashwin Viswanathan
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Nüssel M, Zhao Y, Knorr C, Regensburger M, Stadlbauer A, Buchfelder M, Del Vecchio A, Kinfe T. Deep Brain Stimulation, Stereotactic Radiosurgery and High-Intensity Focused Ultrasound Targeting the Limbic Pain Matrix: A Comprehensive Review. Pain Ther 2022; 11:459-476. [PMID: 35471626 PMCID: PMC9098763 DOI: 10.1007/s40122-022-00381-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2022] [Accepted: 03/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Chronic pain (CP) represents a socio-economic burden for affected patients along with therapeutic challenges for currently available therapies. When conventional therapies fail, modulation of the affective pain matrix using reversible deep brain stimulation (DBS) or targeted irreversible thalamotomy by stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) and magnetic resonance (MR)-guided focused ultrasound (MRgFUS) appear to be considerable treatment options. We performed a literature search for clinical trials targeting the affective pain circuits (thalamus, anterior cingulate cortex [ACC], ventral striatum [VS]/internal capsule [IC]). PubMed, Ovid, MEDLINE and Scopus were searched (1990-2021) using the terms "chronic pain", "deep brain stimulation", "stereotactic radiosurgery", "radioneuromodulation", "MR-guided focused ultrasound", "affective pain modulation", "pain attention". In patients with CP treated with DBS, SRS or MRgFUS the somatosensory thalamus and periventricular/periaquaeductal grey was the target of choice in most treated subjects, while affective pain transmission was targeted in a considerably lower number (DBS, SRS) consisting of the following nodi of the limbic pain matrix: the anterior cingulate cortex; centromedian-parafascicularis of the thalamus, pars posterior of the central lateral nucleus and internal capsule/ventral striatum. Although DBS, SRS and MRgFUS promoted a meaningful and sustained pain relief, an effective, evidence-based comparative analysis is biased by heterogeneity of the observation period varying between 3 months and 5 years with different stimulation patterns (monopolar/bipolar contact configuration; frequency 10-130 Hz; intensity 0.8-5 V; amplitude 90-330 μs), source and occurrence of lesioning (radiation versus ultrasound) and chronic pain ethology (poststroke pain, plexus injury, facial pain, phantom limb pain, back pain). The advancement of neurotherapeutics (MRgFUS) and novel DBS targets (ACC, IC/VS), along with established and effective stereotactic therapies (DBS-SRS), increases therapeutic options to impact CP by modulating affective, pain-attentional neural transmission. Differences in trial concept, outcome measures, targets and applied technique promote conflicting findings and limited evidence. Hence, we advocate to raise awareness of the potential therapeutic usefulness of each approach covering their advantages and disadvantages, including such parameters as invasiveness, risk-benefit ratio, reversibility and responsiveness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin Nüssel
- Department of Neurosurgery, Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Yining Zhao
- Department of Neurosurgery, Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Constantin Knorr
- Medical Faculty, Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Martin Regensburger
- Molecular Neurology, Department of Neurology, Friedrich-Alexander University (FAU) Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Andreas Stadlbauer
- Institute of Medical Radiology, University Clinic St. Pölten, Karl Landsteiner University of Health Sciences, St. Pölten, Austria
| | - Michael Buchfelder
- Department of Neurosurgery, Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Alessandro Del Vecchio
- Department of Artificial Intelligence in Biomedical Engineering (AIBE), Friedrich-Alexander University (FAU) Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Thomas Kinfe
- Division of Functional Neurosurgery and Stereotaxy, Department of Neurosurgery, Friedrich-Alexander University (FAU) Erlangen-Nürnberg, Schwabachanlage 6, 91054, Erlangen, Germany.
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Medial thalamotomy using stereotactic radiosurgery for intractable pain: a systematic review. Neurosurg Rev 2021; 45:71-80. [PMID: 33978923 DOI: 10.1007/s10143-021-01561-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2021] [Revised: 03/12/2021] [Accepted: 05/04/2021] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
Medial thalamotomy using stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) is a potential treatment for intractable pain. However, the ideal treatment parameters and expected outcomes from this procedure remain unclear. The aim of this systematic review is to provide further insights on medial thalamotomy using SRS, specifically for intractable pain. A systematic review was performed to identify all clinical articles discussing medial thalamotomy using SRS for intractable pain. Only studies in which SRS was used to target the medial thalamus for pain were included. For centers with multiple publications, care was taken to avoid recounting individual patients. The literature review revealed six studies describing outcomes of medial thalamotomy using SRS for a total of 125 patients (118 included in the outcome analysis). Fifty-two patients were treated for cancer pain across three studies, whereas five studies included 73 patients who were treated for nonmalignant pain. The individual studies demonstrated initial meaningful pain reduction in 43.3-100% of patients, with an aggregate initial meaningful pain reduction in 65 patients (55%) following SRS medial thalamotomy. This effect persisted in 45 patients (38%) at the last follow-up. Adverse events were observed in six patients (5%), which were related to radiation in five patients (4%). Medial thalamotomy using SRS is effective for select patients with treatment-resistant pain and is remarkably safe when modern radiation delivery platforms are used. More posteriorly placed lesions within the medial thalamus were associated with better pain relief. More studies are warranted to shed light on differences in patient responses.
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