According to scientists of the Medical Center Asturias and Central University Hospital of Asturias, the drug-resistant chronic cluster headache (CCH) can be managed significantly and safely via deep brain stimulation (DBS). DBS is a surgical approach used to send the electrical signals to brain parts to manage various disease conditions.

This study explains the long-term outcomes of DBS and related structural connectivity. A total of 15 patients with drug-resistant CCH participated in the analysis. These patients went through DBS in coordinates 5 mm below, 2 mm behind the intercommissural point and 4 mm lateral to the third ventricular wall. The 3 T MR diffusion tensor imaging (MR-DTI) was used to record structural connectivity. The clinical variables measured were pain intensity, headache duration and weekly attacks. Patients showed improvement and experienced only two attacks/week instead of 39. The mean cephalagia duration was reduced from 53 to 8 min and pain intensity from 9 to 3 after the treatment. The location of the mean stereotactic coordinates was 4.0 mm below, 1.2 mm behind the intercommissural point and 6.1 mm lateral to the midcommissural point. 

As per DTI results, the target showed a significant association with posterior mesencephalic tegmentum nuclei and tracts, especially the mamillotegmental and dorsal longitudinal fasciculus.