Introduction: Psychosurgery and the neurochemical treatment of pain (NTP) are therapeutic options restricted to patients who show resistance to medical treatments. Surgical techniques have been perfected over the last few decades.
Aims: Our aim was to conduct a systematic review of the studies dealing with psychosurgery and NTP reported in the literature, based on the standards of quality used in evidence-based medicine.
Development: Following screening and selection, nine of the 178 papers found (MEDLINE, 1990-2002) were selected for the study: three referring to the treatment of neuropathic pain and six about the treatment of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). The objectives were the therapeutic results in all cases, the study of the anatomical-functional bases in three of them and the description of side effects in five. After adapting the standards of quality used in evidence-based medicine (there are no standards for papers about surgery), one was classified in group B, six in group C and two as C-D. The three papers about the treatment of pain reported a significant improvement in the pain scales in 40-77% of patients. As regards the treatment of OCD, results showed an overall improvement of the scales in 20.4-70% of the patients with an improvement above 50%. The side effects are also described.
Conclusions: Data published support the indication of psychosurgery and NTP for selected patients with neuropathic pain and OCD. The methodological limitations of the papers prevent us from drawing conclusions about the other diseases for which these techniques have been indicated.