EPIONE
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Efficacy of Pain Intervention with deep brain stimulation neuromodulation
IRAS ID
273330
Contact name
Alexander Green
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Research Governance, Ethics and Assurance Team
Duration of Study in the UK
4 years, 0 months, 0 days
Research summary
Chronic (long lasting) pain is common with moderate to severe disabling pain affecting between 10.4 to 14.3% of the UK population. It is frequently associated with damage to nerves or the brain, this is called neuropathic pain. Chronic neuropathic pain can occur after strokes in up to 20% of stroke survivors (Central Post Stroke Pain, CPSP) and this form of pain can be difficult to treat with standard medical therapies. Deep brain stimulation (DBS) surgery involves the insertion into the brain of electrical leads connected to a pacemaker device similar to that used in the heart (an internal pulse generator). This allows specific regions of the brain to be electrically stimulated, allowing controlled changes in the function of brain networks. In this study, brain regions associated with pain perception will be stimulated. These regions together are known as the central pain network, and alterations to this network have been proposed to underlie CPSP. DBS is an intervention that allows clinicians to intervene in the functions of this network with the aim of improving pain symptoms. However, DBS is a surgical procedure with risks and a financial cost. Moreover, there is very little randomised controlled trial evidence, the gold standard of medical evidence, that the intervention works for pain. We propose to undertake such a trial to study if this form of intervention is effective at treating pain in stroke patients.
REC name
West Midlands - South Birmingham Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
23/WM/0219
Date of REC Opinion
20 Dec 2023
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion