Analysis of the effects of combined electrical spinal cord stimulation and pregabalin therapy in patients with herpes zoster trigeminal neuralgia.

OBJECTIVE

To analyze the clinical effects of combined electrical spinal cord stimulation (SCS) and pregabalin treatment in patients with herpes zoster (HZ) trigeminal neuralgia.

METHODS

This retrospective study analyzed clinical data from 121 patients diagnosed with HZ trigeminal neuralgia. Data were collected using the hospital's HIT system and categorized into two groups based on treatment: the pregabalin group (n = 59, treated with pregabalin) and the pregabalin + SCS group (n = 62, treated with pregabalin plus electrical SCS). The pregabalin + SCS group was further divided into the Gasserian ganglion subgroup (n = 26) and the trigeminal nerve branch subgroup (n = 36) based on the therapeutic target.

RESULTS

The overall efficacy rate was higher in the pregabalin + SCS group (95.16 %) than in the pregabalin group (83.05 %). At 1, 4, and 12 weeks of treatment, the pregabalin + SCS group showed significantly lower scores on the NRS, BPI, HADS-A, and HADS-D compared to the pregabalin group. Additionally, at 4 and 12 weeks of treatment, the pregabalin + SCS group exhibited lower PSQI scores, and the Gasserian ganglion subgroup demonstrated lower NRS and BPI scores compared to the trigeminal nerve branch subgroup. Binary logistic regression analysis identified disease duration and treatment method as independent factors influencing treatment efficacy in HZ trigeminal neuralgia.

CONCLUSION

The addition of electrical SCS to standard pharmacological treatment significantly improves the efficacy of HZ trigeminal neuralgia management.