Pain reduction in amputees by long-term spinal cord stimulation. Long-term follow-up study over 5 years.

This follow-up study analyzes the results of dorsal column stimulation instituted between 1972 and 1974 for the relief of pain in 84 patients, including 64 amputees. Good results decreased from 52.4% after 2 years of stimulation to 39% after 5 years.

Spinal cord stimulation in post-amputation pain.

One of the pre-operative screening tests for dorsal column stimulation involves direct acute precutaneous stimulation of the dorsal column. The test simulates the postoperative therapeutic situation, shows the patient's reactions to electrically induced paresthesias and enables physician and patient to evaluate beforehand the degree of pain relief to be obtained with the implant.

Intention myoclonus of multiple sclerosis, its patho-anatomical basis and its stereotactic relief.

The typical multiple sclerosis case considered here is especially informative from both the standpoint of its clinical course and on the basis of the autopsy findings. The foci responsible for the severe bilateral intention myoclonus of the trunk and limbs are the nerve cell losses in both red nuclei due to extensive and almost complete demyelination. Thereby the triangle of Mollaret between the red nucleus, inferior olives and dentate nucleus is involved as the patho-physiological circuit responsible for myoclonus.