ID: 211385 Modeling the Effects of Dorsal Root Ganglion Stimulation on a Population of Biophysically Distinct C-neurons

Abstract

Dorsal root ganglion stimulation (DRGS) is an effective therapy for managing chronic pain. However, some patients do not receive adequate pain relief from DRGS. We do not understand the mechanisms of action of DRGS-induced pain relief, preventing us from optimizing the therapy to maximize pain relief in all patients. One hypothesis is that DRGS augments the filtering of action potentials (APs) at the T-junction of nociceptive C-neurons. However, conventional neurostimulation theory suggests direct action on nonmyelinated cells, such as C-neurons, is unlikely at stimulation amplitudes utilized in clinical DRGS programming. We employed a computational approach to study how biological variability between C-neurons may affect their response to DRGS.