Trigeminal neuralgia (TN) is the most common cause of facial pain. Medical treatment is the first therapeutic choice whereas surgery, including Gamma Knife radiosurgery (GKRS), is indicated in case of pharmacological therapy failure. However, about 20% of subjects lack adequate pain relief after surgery. Virtual reality (VR) technology has been explored as a novel tool for reducing pain perception and might be the breakthrough in treatment-resistant cases. The investigators will conduct a prospective randomized comparative study to detect the effectiveness of GKRS aided by VR-training vs GKRS alone in TN patients. In addition, using MRI and artificial intelligence (AI), the investigators will identify pre-treatment abnormalities of central nervous system circuits associated with pain to predict response to treatment. The investigators expect that brain-based biomarkers, with clinical features, will provide key information in the personalization of treatment options and bring a huge impact in the management and understanding of pain in TN.
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Numeric Rating Scale for pain (NRS) changes
Timeframe: Baseline, month 3 and month 12
Barrow Neurological Institute (BNI) pain score changes
Timeframe: Baseline, month 3 and month 12