Motor cortex stimulation reduces hyperalgesia in an animal model of central pain

Electrical stimulation of the primary motor cortex has been used since 1991 to treat chronic neuropathic pain. Since its inception, motor cortex stimulation (MCS) treatment has had varied clinical outcomes. Until this point, there has not been a systematic study of the stimulation parameters that most effectively treat chronic pain, or of the mechanisms by which MCS relieves pain. Here, using a rodent model of central pain, we perform a systematic study of stimulation parameters used for MCS and investigate the mechanisms by which MCS reduces hyperalgesia. Specifically, we study the role of the inhibitory nucleus zona incerta (ZI) in mediating the analgesic effects of MCS. In animals with mechanical and thermal hyperalgesia, we find that stimulation at 50 μA, 50 Hz, and 300 μs square pulses for 30 minutes is sufficient to reverse mechanical and thermal hyperalgesia. We also find that stimulation of the ZI mimics the effects of MCS and that reversible inactivation of ZI blocks the effects of MCS. These findings suggest that the reduction of hyperalgesia may be due to MCS effects on ZI.