Effects of Peri-auricular Percutaneous Electrical Neuro-Modulating Field Stimulation (PENFS) of the Cranial Nerves on the Auto-regulatory Hemodynamics of Intracranial Circulation in a Single Blind Sham Controlled Cohort

摘要

Percutaneous Electrical Neuro-modulating Field Stimulation (PENFS) is a non-narcotic clinical intervention for acute post-surgical and chronic pain conditions. Neuro-Stim System? (EAD) peri-auricular cranial nerve field neuro-modulating stimulation device was performed on a cohort of 12 healthy adult patients over a 3-week span. A Transcranial Doppler (TCD) was used to assess intracranial hemodynamic changes including fluid velocity, Pourcelots resistivity index (RI) and Gosling's pulsatility index (PI) in the middle cerebral, anterior cerebral, posterior cerebral, basilar, and vertebral arteries. Upon peri-auricular neuro-modulating stimulation by the NSS, the mean hemodynamic flow in the cerebral arteries indicated a compensatory response, increasing by 1-19%, while the PI and RI values decreased by 2-11% from the baseline. The study indicates that NSS peri-auricular stimulation decreases the flow resistance and increases the cerebral perfusion.