Hybrid and Multimodal Neuromodulation: Layered Control of Pain Networks
Part of The Forgotten Corridors: Rediscovering Neuromodulation Pathways from Gutter Stimulation to Ventral Cord Stimulation
Details
- Date
- Saturday, January 23, 2027
- Time
- 5:00 PM – 5:20 PM
- Session type
- Concurrent Session
- Schedule
- See this day
About
Neuromodulation has traditionally focused on stimulation of the dorsal columns, yet chronic pain processing involves multiple spinal cord circuits. Growing interest is emerging in previously overlooked anatomical corridors, including the dorsal root entry zone (DREZ) and the lateral spinal cord "gutter," where primary afferent fibers enter the spinal cord and interact with dorsal horn networks. These regions may represent precision targets for modulating segmental nociceptive processing. Similarly, ventral and ventrolateral spinal cord regions, historically avoided due to motor activation, may provide opportunities for intentional engagement of descending modulatory and propriospinal circuits. With advances in lead design and programming, these areas can now be explored more safely and selectively.
Presenters
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Erika Petersen, MD, FAANS, FACS, is a Professor of Neurosurgery at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, where she directs the Section of Functional and Restorative Neurosurgery and serves as program director for the neurosurgery residency. A board-certified neurosurgeon, her clinical practice and research focus on neuromodulation for movement disorders, spasticity, and chronic pain, with particular interest in developing new devices, indications, and methods for treatment. She collaborates across specialties to advance applications of deep brain stimulation and neuromodulation, and also studies the privacy and cybersecurity of implanted devices, diversity and inclusion in surgery, and the use of virtual reality in neuroscience. Dr. Petersen earned her undergraduate degree from Princeton University, her medical degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, completed neurosurgery residency at the University of Texas Southwestern, and a fellowship in deep brain stimulation at the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery in London. She holds leadership roles in national neurosurgical and pain societies, and serves on multiple editorial boards.