Motor cortex stimulation for pain control induces changes in the endogenous opioid system

Motor cortex stimulation (MCS) for neuropathic pain control induces focal cerebral blood flow changes involving regions with high density of opioid receptors. We studied the possible contribution of the endogenous opioid system to MCS-related pain relief.Changes in opioid receptor availability induced by MCS were studied with PET scan and [(11)C]diprenorphine in eight patients with refractory neuropathic pain. Each patient underwent two...