Pain-Related Motor Cortex Disinhibition in Patients with Neuralgia after Peripheral Nerve Lesion – A Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) Study

Different studies have suggested a relationship between chronic pain and reorganization in the human sensorimotor cortex, e.g., in patients with limb amputation or complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS). Cortical reorganization might be based on changes of synaptic efficacy requiring a reduction of GABAergic inhibition and an activation of NMDA receptors and, therefore, be linked to changes of cortical excitability. Such cortical excitability changes might be reflected by changes of intracortical inhibition (ICI) and facilitation (ICF) as assessed by paired pulse TMS. The aim of the present study was to assess su…