Multimodal therapeutic assessment of peripheral nerve stimulation in neuropathic pain: five case reports with a 20-year follow-up.

Neuropathic pain following peripheral nerve lesion is highly resistant to conventional pain treatments but may respond well to direct electrical peripheral nerve stimulation (PNS). In the 1980s, we treated a series of 11 peripheral neuropathic pain patients with PNS. A first outcome assessment, conducted after a 52-month follow-up, revealed that the majority of the patients were significantly improved.

Long term clinical outcome of peripheral nerve stimulation in patients with chronic peripheral neuropathic pain.

Background: Chronic neuropathic pain after injury to a peripheral nerve is known to be resistant to treatment. Peripheral nerve stimulation is one of the possible treatment options, which is, however, not performed frequently. In recent years we have witnessed a renewed interest for PNS.

Long-term electrical capsular stimulation in patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder.

Objective: Because of the irreversibility of lesioning procedures and their possible side effects, we studied the efficacy of replacing bilateral anterior capsulotomy with chronic electrical capsular stimulation in patients with severe, long-standing, treatment-resistant obsessive-compulsive disorder.

Methods: We stereotactically implanted quadripolar electrodes in both anterior limbs of the internal capsules into six patients with severe obsessive-compulsive disorder. Psychiatrists and psychologists performed a double-blind clinical assessment.

Electrical stimulation of the brain for psychiatric disorders.

Despite advances in therapies, there remain psychiatric patients who are extremely ill and cannot be helped by classic psychiatric treatments, including psychotherapy and drug therapy. Certain of these patients may be helped by use of bilateral brain lesioning. The complication rate of standard stereotactic psychosurgery techniques is very low.

Reflections: a historical vignette.

vignette is a diminutive of vigne (vine) and at first was used in the form of a vine branch, e.g., to begin or end a chapter in a book or to frame a medieval miniature.