Session: Decade of Pain Lecture: Four Decades of Neuromodulation

	23rd Annual Meeting February 7-10, 2007 New Orleans, LA
Annual Meeting Highlights Supported by an educational grant from Merck & Co., Inc. © 2006 American Academy of Pain Medicine


Thursday, February 8, 2007: 11:15 AM-12:00 PM
Decade of Pain Lecture: Four Decades of Neuromodulation
Neuromodulation, the field of implanting devices in the nervous system to control pain, movement dysfunction, and other disorders of the central nervous system (CNS), has made significant advances in the current decade. New medications have been discovered, studied, approved, and put in use. Microprocessor technology has greater programming sophistication to enhance the ability to reach new and complex targets. Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) provides significant information about potential CNS targets and measures of change. New rechargeable systems now facilitate treatment of problems that previously were untreatable, due to high power requirements producing premature battery failure. Clinicians can now manage patients rather than attempting to manage battery life. Behavioral evaluation is becoming progressively more sophisticated to provide better prognostic capability in terms of both pain relief and functional improvement in the chronic pain patient.

Submitter:	Joshua P. Prager, M.D., M.S.
11:15 AM		Four Decades of Neuromodulation Joshua P. Prager, MD, MS