Glossary term:

Neuromodulatory drugs

Drugs, belonging to a number of different classes, which modify the transmission of electrical impulses in the brain and spinal cord. Most often they are prescribed to treat neuropathic pain. The most common classes of drugs used in this way are antiepileptic drugs and antidepressants. Developed originally to treat, respectively, epilepsy and profound mood disorders, these drugs, by modifying the complex chemistry of the brain and spinal cord, can, as beneficial side effects, also reduce the conduction of pain impulses.