Open AccessElectrical stimulation decreases neuralgic pain after trigeminal deafferentation
Author(s) -
Drummond PD,
TreleavenHassard S
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
cephalalgia
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.57
H-Index - 125
eISSN - 1468-2982
pISSN - 0333-1024
DOI - 10.1111/j.1468-2982.2008.01575.x
Subject(s) - medicine , trigeminal neuralgia , trigeminal nerve , trigeminal ganglion , anesthesia , ganglion , supraorbital nerve , stimulation , cluster headache , orofacial pain , lesion , sensory system , surgery , neuroscience , anatomy , corneal reflex , psychology , reflex , migraine
Trigeminal nerve activity mediates head pain after cranial injuries, and also contributes to idiopathic syndromes such as cluster headache and trigeminal neuralgia. Nevertheless, chronic facial pain sometimes develops after lesion of the trigeminal nerve. Here we report on a patient who developed dysaesthesia and stabbing pain in her face after the trigeminal ganglion was destroyed. Transcutaneous electrical stimulation within the distribution of trigeminal deafferentation alleviated the anaesthesia dolorosa and neuralgic jabs, suggesting that sensory afferents that bypassed the trigeminal ganglion mediated therapeutic effects.