Treatment of Déjerine–Roussy Syndrome Pain with Scrambler Therapy

Abstract

Aim: Déjerine–Roussy syndrome or central thalamic pain can be devastating, and treatment with drugs and even deep brain stimulation can be unsatisfactory. Scrambler therapy is a form of neuromodulation that uses external skin electrodes to send a ‘non-pain’ signal to the brain, with some success in difficult-to-treat syndromes such as neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder. We used scrambler therapy to treat a patient with 6 years of disabling Déjerine–Roussy syndrome pain. Methods: A 56-year-old man received multiple daily then monthly treatments with electrode pairs placed just above the area of distal pain. Each treatment was for 40 min. Results: His allodynia and hyperalgesia resolved within 10 min, and his pain score fell to almost zero after 30 min. Months later, he resumed normal activity and is off all his pain medications. No side effects were noted. Conclusion: Scrambler therapy appeared to reverse 6 years of disabling pain safely and economically, and continues to be effective. Further multi-institutional trials are warranted for this rare syndrome.

Keywords::

• central pain
• Dejerine–Roussy syndrome
• neuromodulation
• neuropathic pain
• scrambler therapy
• thalamic pain

Financial & competing interests disclosure

Supported by the Harry J Duffey Family Fund, The Lerner Foundation, NCI grant P 30 006973, 1 R01 CA177562-01A1 and PCORI IHS 1609–36518 (all to TJ Smith). TJ Smith reports having received US$5100 in travel expenses (business class tickets, hotel, meals and a $38 vase as a present) from GEOMC, Inc. – the manufacturers of scrambler therapy machines, to teach about scrambler therapy at the Fifth Annual Conference on Scrambler Therapy in Seoul, Korea, January 2017. The inventor of scrambler therapy, Giuseppe Marineo, donated an MC5A scrambler therapy machine made by GEOMC, Inc. to Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions in 2011. The US distributor of scrambler therapy donated another machine to Johns Hopkins for Research in 2019, about a $63,000 value, which had been rented until the neuromyelitis study was completed. Both machines are certified regularly by the Johns Hopkins Clinical Engineering Service. The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed.

No writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript.

Informed consent disclosure

The authors state that they have obtained verbal and written informed consent from the patient/patients for the inclusion of their medical and treatment history within this case report.

Additional information

Funding

Supported by the Harry J Duffey Family Fund, The Lerner Foundation, NCI grant P 30 006973, 1 R01 CA177562-01A1 and PCORI IHS 1609�36518 (all to TJ Smith). TJ Smith reports having received US$5100 in travel expenses (business class tickets, hotel, meals and a $38 vase as a present) from GEOMC, Inc. � the manufacturers of scrambler therapy machines, to teach about scrambler therapy at the Fifth Annual Conference on Scrambler Therapy in Seoul, Korea, January 2017. The inventor of scrambler therapy, Giuseppe Marineo, donated an MC5A scrambler therapy machine made by GEOMC, Inc. to Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions in 2011. The US distributor of scrambler therapy donated another machine to Johns Hopkins for Research in 2019, about a $63,000 value, which had been rented until the neuromyelitis study was completed. Both machines are certified regularly by the Johns Hopkins Clinical Engineering Service. The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed. No writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript.