Health News - Neurologists develop ‘deep stimulation’ technique that could end sufferers’ painful ordeal

Published: 10 February, 2011
by TOM FOOT

Doctors’ cluster headache brainwave

THE pain has been described as “worse than childbirth”, striking every 15 minutes and up to eight times a day. It has driven some of its victims to commit suicide.

Now neurologists at the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery (NHNN) in Queen Square, Bloomsbury, believe they have found an answer to Cluster Headaches (CH). 

Their “deep brain stimulation” (DBS) techniques have already been used to treat other conditions such as Parkinson’s disease and dystonia, but the use of implants has not yet been approved for treating CH.

Electrodes are inserted into the brain that link up with a stimulator in the chest, passing currents and “unblocking” damaged signals in the brain that cause cluster headaches.

Barrie Wilson, 67, had the implant switched on in October and has had only one headache since. 

He had been suffering from cluster headaches for 14 years without ever discovering the trigger.

Mr Wilson said: “I started getting these horrendous headaches in 1996. I went to see my GP who was really good about referring me to a neurologist and I was diagnosed with chronic Cluster Headaches straight away.

“Over the years I tried the pharmacy’s arsenal of medication. A few things worked for a time, but none of the solutions I was offered would have worked for ever. 

“The fear was that as the body gets used to the medication, it stops working. My quality of life suffered because I could not do anything spontaneously and would have to take oxygen with me even if I wanted to go for a little walk in the park. Meanwhile, the highs get high and the lows get very low, and there was a time when I was on anti-depressants to keep me calm. Then I met Manjit (Matharu, his consultant at the NHNN) and he offered me deep brain stimulation. I had nothing to lose and everything to gain so I took the opportunity. And only last week I went to the park and didn’t even give it a second thought.”

Dr Matharu and neurosurgeon Ludvic Zrinzo have been researching the treatment for 10 years.

“Unless you have experienced cluster headaches you cannot underestimate the impact they have on the lives of sufferers and their families,” said Dr Matharu. “If we can help them in any way it’s immensely rewarding.”

Dr Zrinzo added: “We hope that our encouraging early experience will help to establish a clinical trial that rigorously explores the utility of DBS in cluster headache.”

The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) is developing guidance for the NHS on deep brain stimulation for severe cluster headaches.