An investigation into the impact of Carbazamine on postural stability (360G-Wellcome-207372_Z_17_Z)

Gamma knife®(GK) is a stereotactic radiosurgery that can be used to treat trigeminal neuralgia(TN), without the need for pharmacological medication, and has been shown to result in patients being pain free without medication from as early as 6 months after surgery (Loescher et al, 2012). TN is a serious health issue that causes short, reoccurring sessions of intense, sharp facial pain, which has been compared to the feeling of an electric shock (Headache Classification Subcommittee of the International Headache Society, 2013). The cost effectiveness of GK has yet to be fully elucidated. Qualitative work has evaluated the effects of the drug of choice, Carbamazepine, used to treat TN, and found that patients report motor and cognitive difficulties (Zakrzewska et al, 2017). However, a more objective, quantitative investigation into the effects of Carbamazepine and GK treatment on patients with TN would allow for standardised assessment of risks and benefits and therefore make cost-effectiveness discussions more informed. This study will investigate the effects of different treatment regimens on manual dexterity tasks, where participants use a handheld stylus to interact with visual stimuli and postural stability tasks, where participants are exposed to a cognitive load and their gross motor control is measured.