Cortical Mechanisms Underlying Immersive Interactive Virtual Walking Treatment for Amelioration of Neuropathic Pain after Spinal Cord Injury: Findings from a Preliminary Investigation of Thalamic Inhibitory Function

Abstract

Background: Neuropathic pain following spinal cord injury (SCI) affects approximately 60% of individuals with SCI. Effective pharmacological and non-pharmacological treatments remain elusive. We recently demonstrated that our immersive virtual reality walking intervention (VRWalk) may be effective for SCI NP. Additionally, we found that SCI NP may result from a decrease in thalamic γ-aminobutyric-acid (GABA), which disturbs central sensorimotor processing. Objective: While we identified GABAergic changes associated with SCI NP, a critical outstanding question is whether a decrease in SCI NP generated by our VRWalk intervention causes GABA content to rise. Method: A subset of participants (n = 7) of our VRWalk trial underwent magnetic resonance spectroscopy pre- and post-VRWalk intervention to determine if the decrease in SCI NP is associated with an increase in thalamic GABA. Results: The findings revealed a significant increase in thalamic GABA content from pre- to post-VRWalk treatment. Conclusion: While the current findings are preliminary and should be interpreted with caution, pre- to post-VRWalk reductions in SCI NP may be mediated by pre- to post-treatment increases in thalamic GABA by targeting and normalizing maladaptive sensorimotor cortex reorganization. Understanding the underlying mechanisms of pain recovery can serve to validate the efficacy of home-based VR walking treatment as a means of managing pain following SCI. Neuromodulatory interventions aimed at increasing thalamic inhibitory function may provide more effective pain relief than currently available treatments.