Quantum Mechanical Mechanisms in the Therapeutic Effects of Spinal Cord Stimulation to Treat Chronic Neuropathic Pain: A Quantum Computational Model.
Overview
14 affiliations
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Jordan, Amman, 11942, Jordan
- Department of Psychiatry, Jordan University Hospital, Amman, 11942, Jordan
- West Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust, Suffolk, UK
- United Lincolnshire Hospital NHS Trust, Grantham, Lincolnshire, NG31 8JE, UK
- Hull University Teaching Hospital NHS Trust, Hull, HU3 2JZ, UK
- School of Medicine, University of Jordan, Amman, 11942, Jordan
- Colchester General Hospital, Colchester, CO4 5JL, UK
- Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Jordan, Amman, 11942, Jordan
- Bahria University, Islamabad, Islamabad Capital Territory, Pakistan
- Department of Family Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Jordan, Amman, 11942, Jordan
- School of Medicine, Jordan University of Science and Technology, Irbid, 22110, Jordan
- Alabdali Clemenceau Hospital, Amman, 11190, Jordan
- Jordanian Royal Medical Services, Amman, 11855, Jordan
- School of Medicine, Al-Baath University, Homs, Syria
Abstract
Introduction: Spinal cord stimulation (SCS) is an emerging intervention used to treat neuropathic pain by inducing depolarization mediated by ion channels. According to the principles of classical electrophysiology, SCS will fail to induce depolarization if the barrier height of potassium channels is lower than that of sodium channels; moreover, the SCS seems to add more energetic burden on the neurons which may worsen the neuropathic pain. Therefore, our research question is “does quantum physics offer an alternative mechanism that may solve these two problematic concerns?
Methods: In the present study, a mathematical model of quantum tunneling is applied on two-pore domain potassium channel K2P and sodium leak channel NALCN channels. The equations that describe the relationship between the external electric field produced from SCS and the membrane potential are stated clearly. Then, these equations are inserted in the MATLAB software to be solved for the membrane potential.
Results and discussion: Our results indicate that quantum tunneling model predicts the occurrence of depolarization induced by SCS even in the case that potassium channels have lower barrier height because the quantum model predicts that extracellular potassium ions have higher kinetic energy and higher tunneling probability compared to the intracellular potassium ions. As a result, net inward potassium current is generated and is able to depolarize the membrane potential. Hyperpolarization is predicted by the quantum model only in the case in which the influence of the external electric field on the kinetic energy of ions is considered and its direction is opposite to the direction of the electric field of the neuronal membrane. In addition, quantum tunneling-assisted depolarization utilizes lower energy compared to the depolarization induced by the classical opening of closed channels because the quantum tunneling of ions requires lower energy than the barrier height for the transport to occur.
Reproduced under the paper's license (CC BY-NC), from the paper cited above.
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Data and MATLAB codes are available upon a reasonable request from the corresponding author.
Reproduced under the paper's license (CC BY-NC), from the paper cited above.
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Version 2, 28 September 2026
- Authors: added Hussam I A Alzeerelhouseini (0000-0003-0219-3101); removed Hussam I A Alzeerelhouseini
Version 1, 28 September 2026: the first record
Recorded: type, language, journal, volume, pages, dates, 23 authors, 4 keywords, 71 references.
Cite
This paper
Abdallat, M., Qaswal, A. B., Quzli, A., Hassan, M., Alkhatib, S., Khraim, Y., Alkhateeb, G., Alsmadi, O., Abdulqader, Z., Shitawi, J., Miqdadi, H. R., Nuseir, M., Alzeerelhouseini, H. I. A., Hanif, S., Essa, O., Yousef, D., Alsoub, F., Okour, M., Alzubaidi, A., . . . Al-Rashdan, M. O. (2026). Quantum Mechanical Mechanisms in the Therapeutic Effects of Spinal Cord Stimulation to Treat Chronic Neuropathic Pain: A Quantum Computational Model. Journal of pain research, 19, 566042. https://
BibTeX
@article{abdallat2026qua
author = {Abdallat, Mahmoud and Qaswal, Abdallah Barjas and Quzli, Ahmad and Hassan, Moustafa and Alkhatib, Sondos and Khraim, Yazan and Alkhateeb, Ghufran and Alsmadi, Omar and Abdulqader, Zaid and Shitawi, Jehad and Miqdadi, Hala Raed and Nuseir, Mariana and Alzeerelhouseini, Hussam I A and Hanif, Sehrish and Essa, Omar and Yousef, Dima and Alsoub, Fatima and Okour, Maram and Alzubaidi, Ayham and Alsahli, Omar and El-Isa, Hasan and Alsaddi, Hussam and Al-Rashdan, Mohamad Osama},
title = {{Quantum Mechanical Mechanisms in the Therapeutic Effects of Spinal Cord Stimulation to Treat Chronic Neuropathic Pain: A Quantum Computational Model}},
journal = {Journal of pain research},
year = {2026},
month = apr,
volume = {19},
pages = {566042},
publisher = {Dove Press},
issn = {1178-7090},
doi = {10.2147/
url = {https://
pmid = {41948168},
pmcid = {PMC13051197}
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
AU - Abdallat, Mahmoud
AU - Qaswal, Abdallah Barjas
AU - Quzli, Ahmad
AU - Hassan, Moustafa
AU - Alkhatib, Sondos
AU - Khraim, Yazan
AU - Alkhateeb, Ghufran
AU - Alsmadi, Omar
AU - Abdulqader, Zaid
AU - Shitawi, Jehad
AU - Miqdadi, Hala Raed
AU - Nuseir, Mariana
AU - Alzeerelhouseini, Hussam I A
AU - Hanif, Sehrish
AU - Essa, Omar
AU - Yousef, Dima
AU - Alsoub, Fatima
AU - Okour, Maram
AU - Alzubaidi, Ayham
AU - Alsahli, Omar
AU - El-Isa, Hasan
AU - Alsaddi, Hussam
AU - Al-Rashdan, Mohamad Osama
TI - Quantum Mechanical Mechanisms in the Therapeutic Effects of Spinal Cord Stimulation to Treat Chronic Neuropathic Pain: A Quantum Computational Model
T2 - Journal of pain research
J2 - J Pain Res
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/
VL - 19
SP - 566042
SN - 1178-7090
PB - Dove Press
DO - 10.2147/
UR - https://
LA - en
ER -
CSL-JSON
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