Cortical Plasticity After Motor Cortex Stimulation in Healthy Subject and Chronic Pain Patients

Not Applicable

Completed

Brief Summary: The primary aim of this study is to evaluate the induction of sensory-motor cortex plasticity after motor cortex stimulation in healthy subjects, using laser-evoked nociceptive cortical potentials, and in chronic neuropathic pain patients using functional MRI. As a secondary goal, the project will analyse possible correlations between the magnitude of cortical plasticity and that of the pain-relieving effect.

In healthy subjects, cortical plasticity is evaluated by the comparison of somatosensory cortical maps before and after two isolated sessions of 20 Hz and theta-burst rTMS, in a cross-over randomized study.

Two sessions of 5 consecutive days of rTMS are proposed to the patients with a minimum of 4 weeks between the two sessions, defined by 20 Hz and theta-burst stimulation in a cross-over randomized order. Cortical plasticity of the motor cortex is evaluated via functional MRI (motor activation) performed before the first rTMS session and the last day of each session of rTMS.

Recruitment & Eligibility

Inclusion Criteria

healthy subjects aged from 18 to 70 years, male or female, with social protection, fully informed and having given their written consent.
patients :
- aged from 18 to 80 years, male or female, with social protection , fully informed and having given their written consent.
- unilateral pharmacoresistant neuropathic pain during at least one year,
- without any change of the pharmacological treatment since at least one month

Exclusion Criteria

For patients only: new analgesic treatment within 1 month before consent

for both:

Arm && Interventions

Group	Intervention	Description
Patients with resistant pain	Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (rTMS)	-
healthy volunteers	Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (rTMS)	-

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
cortical plasticity induced by rTMS - - Somatosensory evoked potentials	just after the isolated 20 Hz or theta-burst stimulation for healthy subjects	Assessment of plastic changes induced in sensori-motor cortex by the application of repetitive magnetic stimulation in healthy subjects and chronic pain patients. * In healthy subjects, mapping of cortical responses amplitude and source reconstruction techniques (dipole modelisation, BESA) before / after a single rTMS session * In chronic pain patients, contrast analysis between extent and location of motor activations (to hand, foot and mouth contraction) before / after one week of daily rTMS, analysed with Statistical Parametric Mapping (SPM12)
cortical plasticity induced by rTMS -- fMRI	after the 5th day of stimulation (20 Hz or theta-burst) for the patients	Assessment of plastic changes induced in sensori-motor cortex by the application of repetitive magnetic stimulation in healthy subjects and chronic pain patients. * In healthy subjects, mapping of cortical responses amplitude and source reconstruction techniques (dipole modelisation, BESA) before / after a single rTMS session * In chronic pain patients, contrast analysis between extent and location of motor activations (to hand, foot and mouth contraction) before / after one week of daily rTMS, analysed with Statistical Parametric Mapping (SPM12)

Secondary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Linear and nonlinear correlation between the magnitude of induced cortical plasticity and the magnitude of pain relief induced by rTMS. MRI T1 3D and T2*,	after the 5th day of stimulation. Stats after 40 patients studied.
Nonparametric (Chi-2) contrast of dichotomized pain reports before/after rTMS and extent of fMRI activation change (also dichotomized) MRI T1 3D and T2*	after the 5th day of stimulation. Stats after 40 patients studied.

Locations (1): Service d'Exploration, Centre Hospitalier Lyon Est, Hospices civils de Lyon, Lyon, F-69495, France et NeuroPain lab - CRNL (Inserm U1028 - UCBL)
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Bron, France