Epidural Motor Cortex Stimulation for Intractable Thalamic Pain: A case report

ABSTRACT

Motor cortex stimulation is a new technique for post-stroke central pain. The authors reported a case of epidural motor cortex stimulation for thalamic pain after right thalamic intracerebral hematoma. The patient was a 52 year old female who had presented with neuropathic pain on left upper and lower extremity. The authors performed epidural motor cortex stimulation via a small craniotomy site by use of navigation system. Good relief of the pain was achieved. Postoperative visual analogue scale pain score decreased from 9 to 3. The epidural trial of motor cortex stimulation was an effective method in treating refractory thalamic pain as our case.