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        Cluster Headache Help and Support >> Cluster Headache Specific >> BRAIN STIM W/ IMPLANTED ELECTRODES!
        
(Message started by: epichronic on Mar 8^th, 2007, 3:15pm)

Title: BRAIN STIM W/ IMPLANTED ELECTRODES!
Post by epichronic on Mar 8^th, 2007, 3:15pm

anyone gonna guinea pig this one? study found occipital nerve stim successful!!! they don't mention the actual implant procedure, which based on the depth of your occipital nerve inside the skull, sounds like brain surgery of some kind??? ::) i don't know????? looking up this procedure now, and what's entailed.

Title: Re: BRAIN STIM W/ IMPLANTED ELECTRODES!
Post by Callico_Kid on Mar 8^th, 2007, 3:45pm

Just talked with my new neuro about it today. She has had three patients who had good results with it. Two of them out of the country and one from the states. Would have to go overseas to get it though as it is not approved in the US.

Title: Re: BRAIN STIM W/ IMPLANTED ELECTRODES!
Post by epichronic on Mar 8^th, 2007, 3:48pm

this is basically the same implant procedure they have used in the past for deep brain hypothalmus and trigeminal nerve stim as well. these are the same implants that turn off when you walk by a refrigerator! maybe you can make your garage door go up and down by blinking your eyes! ;)

Title: Re: BRAIN STIM W/ IMPLANTED ELECTRODES!
Post by epichronic on Mar 8^th, 2007, 3:53pm

on 03/08/07 at 15:45:41, Callico_Kid wrote:

good point about having to go to italy or wherever? so did your neuro tell you the meat of this procedure? what's involved? thanks.

Title: Re: BRAIN STIM W/ IMPLANTED ELECTRODES!
Post by thebbz on Mar 8^th, 2007, 5:31pm

Go to the meds and treatments board and search DBS.
There is a lot of past discussion on this.
Read the site.
all the best
jb

Title: Re: BRAIN STIM W/ IMPLANTED ELECTRODES!
Post by UN solved on Mar 8^th, 2007, 7:21pm

the Occipital Nerve stimulator and the deep brain stimulation procedure is 2 totally different things. Occipital nerve stimulation is a simple outpatient procedure. Deep Brain Stimulation is brain surgery !

UNsolved

Title: Re: BRAIN STIM W/ IMPLANTED ELECTRODES!
Post by thebbz on Mar 8^th, 2007, 8:37pm

My bad again. still bad
jb ;)

Title: Re: BRAIN STIM W/ IMPLANTED ELECTRODES!
Post by Bob P on Mar 9^th, 2007, 7:34am

Our good friend Dr. Dodick has been doing this at the Mayo in Scottsdale, AZ with pretty good results.

Title: Re: BRAIN STIM W/ IMPLANTED ELECTRODES!
Post by pubgirl on Mar 9^th, 2007, 9:41am

on 03/08/07 at 19:21:34, UN solved wrote:

Please can I just underline what Unsolved has posted>

ONSI= Occipital Nerve Stimulator Implant-

electronic device - SUBCUTANEOSLY inserted (i.e. under the skin and outside the bone of the skull only) and battery pack also only subcutaneously inserted, NONE of it is the brain so relatively low risk surgery. They don't truthfully know why it works for some people if it does and this is arguable. The cue is in the name, it stimulates the occipital nerve which seems to have some relation to CH pain . I know of NO-ONE who has achieved total relief from this operation and we have had quite a few people who have had it done here. The best result so far is decreased pain levels but NOT a cure so far.

DBS - Deep Brain stimulation.

A similar electronic stimulation device is inserted via Brain surgery into the hypothalamus which as about as deep inside the brain as it gets. This is a really high risk operation, used mainly for people suffering from neurological conditions such as Parkinson's who will die from their condition. It is brain surgery and it goes through some ultimately crucial parts of your brain to get to the hypothalamus so even without death, serious brain damage can occur.

There have been several CH sufferers in the world who have had this operation. One has died. The high risk of this has made most CH specialists and their affiliated neurosurgeons refuse to even contemplate it.

There are many scientific articles available as mentioned and elsewhere but I hope this is a fair summary of this as it stands now.

W the B

Title: Re: BRAIN STIM W/ IMPLANTED ELECTRODES!
Post by Opus on Mar 9^th, 2007, 1:52pm

This link is on the General board (http://www.newsmax.com/archives/articles/2007/3/8/155943.shtml?s=he)

Paul