Deep brain stimulation (DBS) of the sensory thalamus has been proposed for 40 years to treat medically refractory neuropathic pain, but its efficacy remains partial and unpredictable. Recently, bilateral DBS of the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), a brain region involved in the integration of the affective and cognitive aspects of pain, has been successively proposed to treat few patients suffering from refractory chronic pain, by decreasing the emotional impact of their chronic pain. ACC-DBS could be an alternative or complementary approach to thalamic DBS in these patients, but the consequences of chronic dACC-DBS on cognition and affects have not been studied specifically. The primary objective is to evaluate the feasibility and safety of bilateral ACC-DBS combined with unilateral thalamic DBS in patients suffering from chronic unilateral pain, refractory to medical treatment. Secondary objective will evaluate the efficacy of this combined DBS compared to thalamic DBS only.
Age range
18 Years – 70 Years
Sex
ALL
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Occurence of serious adverse events.
Timeframe: Day 0, Month 1, Month 4, Month 7, Month 10, Month 22
Feasibility of ACC-DBS: success the process of surgical intervention
Timeframe: Day 0
Feasibility of ACC-DBS : neurological success of the process of chronic stimulation
Timeframe: Day 0, Month 1, Month 4, Month 7, Month 10, Month 22
Feasibility of ACC-DBS : psychiatric success of the process of chronic stimulation
Timeframe: Day 0, Month 1, Month 4, Month 7, Month 10, Month 22
Feasibility of ACC-DBS : cognitive success of the process of chronic stimulation
Timeframe: Day 0, Month 1, Month 4, Month 7, Month 10, Month 22