ABSTRACT
Chronic pain is a debilitating affliction whose successful treatment continues to challenge physicians and surgeons alike. Its damaging effects are pervasive, affecting both the socioeconomic and psychological status of an individual. Chronic pain treatments are often refractory to pharmacological and other nonsurgical treatments. Thalamotomy can deliver modest pain relief but is often associated with various undesirable side effects, like dysarthria, gait disturbance, and cognitive dysfunction, especially if performed bilaterally. This led to the development of stimulating techniques. The current interest in the field is derived from pioneer animal stimulation studies by Reynolds [1] and Mayer [2], and subsequent perfection of these techniques in humans by Adams [3], Richardson and Akil [4], Hosobuchi [5], and Turnbull [6]. Deep brain stimulation (DBS) effectively mimics a lesion but is reversible in nature.
