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The Forgotten Corridors: Gutter Stimulation and the DREZ as a Precision Target

Part of The Forgotten Corridors: Rediscovering Neuromodulation Pathways from Gutter Stimulation to Ventral Cord Stimulation

Details

Date
Saturday, January 23, 2027
Time
4:20 PM – 4:40 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

  • Philippe Rigoard, MD-PhD

    Philippe Rigoard, MD-PhD

    Head of departement

    Poitiers Hospital University · Poitiers, Poitou-Charentes

    Professor of Neurosurgery / Chair of the department of Spine Surgery & Neuromodulation
    Director of PRISMATICS Lab (Predictive Research and Innovative Strategies for Medical & Advanced Technology Integration in Care Systems)
    Poitiers University Hospital, France.
    International Neuromodulation Society (INS) Treasurer / INS Europe, Canada, and Africa Regional Past Director-at-Large / SFNM French chapter Past-President

    His main research interests are neuromodulation and spine biomechanics. He has been involved in intensive scientific collaborations with several researchers worldwide, e.g., Prof. Krishna Kumar (USASK, Canada), Prof. Line Jacques (UCSF, USA), Prof. Richard North (JHU, USA), Dr. Adnan Al-Kaisy (London, UK), Dr. Kliment Gatzinsky (Göteborg, Sweden), Prof. Maarten Moens (VUB, Belgium), Prof. Sam Eldabe (Leeds, UK), Prof. Rod Taylor (Exeter, UK) and Prof. Konstantin Slavin (UIC, USA).
    In 2021, he had the privilege to organize and the honor to host the 2nd INS Congress of the European Chapters in Paris (2-4 Sept 2021).

    Prof. Rigoard has also published 174 articles in peer-reviewed journals indexed in PubMed, an H-Index of >35 and i-10>84, several book chapters, has lectured at more than 300 conferences and symposia worldwide and edited an Atlas of Anatomy of the Peripheral Nerves (Springer), including recent neuromodulation techniques available in the expert version.