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Brain Imaging Biomarkers for Response to Spinal Cord Stimulation in Patients With Chronic Low Back Pain

Brain Imaging Biomarkers for Response to Spinal Cord Stimulation in Patients With Chronic Low Back Pain

Status
Recruiting
Phases
Unknown
Study type
Observational
Source
ClinicalTrials.gov
Registry ID
NCT04658628
Enrollment
42
Registered
2020-12-08
Start date
2021-01-22
Completion date
2027-11-30
Last updated
2025-10-02

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Chronic Low-back Pain

Brief summary

In this protocol, Brain imaging biomarkers for response to Spinal Cord Stimulation in patients with chronic low back pain, the investigators plan to perform brain mapping studies in 42 patients who are undergoing spinal cord stimulation (SCS) for chronic low back pain (CLBP) as part of the participants normal clinical care during a 2-year period. This imagining study is completed for research purposes. There is no standard of care imaging for the participants. This study requires two visits in total. During the baseline visit, participants will undergo imaging acquisition protocol and corresponding assessments. Participants will have another follow-up visit (potentially remotely) for final assessments two weeks after the SCS treatment. The objective of the study is to investigate potential imaging biomarkers that can predict response to the SCS treatment. Specifically, the investigators hypothesize that the connectivity of a certain region of the brain (specifically the subgenual cingulate) prior to SCS may serve as a possible pre-operative imaging-based biomarker on response to SCS. The findings of the study may further enhance investigators understanding of the connectivity between brain areas that are critical to the therapeutic response to SCS in CLBP patients and that can be used as a putative biomarker to select patients who may respond to SCS.

Interventions

None listed

Sponsors

University of California, Los Angeles
Lead SponsorOTHER

Study design

Observational model
COHORT
Time perspective
PROSPECTIVE

Eligibility

Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
21 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
No

Inclusion criteria

* Male or female ≥ 21 years of age at time of consent * Subject has been recommended to undergo an SCS trial for chronic back with or without leg pain by their pain management physician * Chronic low back pain as defined by persistent low back pain despite prior treatments that continues for 12 weeks or longer * Subject signs a valid, Institutional Review Board (IRB)-approved informed consent form (ICF) provided

Exclusion criteria

* Subject is a woman who is not using adequate contraception, is pregnant or breastfeeding or intends to become pregnant during the course of the study * Subject has previously undergone a spinal cord stimulation trial or is already implanted with an active implantable device(s) to treat their pain (Implantable Pulse Generators (IPGs), implantable drug pump, etc.) or pacemaker or implantable cardiac defibrillator * Subject is currently abusing alcohol or illicit drugs * Contraindications to MRIs or the need for recurrent body MRIs * Presence of cardiac pacemakers/defibrillators, implanted medication pumps, intra-cardiac lines, any intracranial implants (e.g., aneurysm clip, shunt, cochlear implant, electrodes) or other implanted stimulators

Design outcomes

Primary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Change in VASBaseline and 2 weeksThe visual analog scale for pain is a continuous horizontal scale of length 100mm with the extremes of pain expressed on either end (left = no pain, right = worst pain).
Change in HAMD-17Baseline and 2 weeksThe HAMD-17 is a 17-item scale that evaluates depressed mood, vegetative and cognitive symptoms of depression, and comorbid anxiety symptoms. The HAMD-17 was one of the first rating scales developed to quantify the severity of depressive symptomatology. First introduced by Max Hamilton in 1960, it has since become the most widely used and accepted outcome measure for evaluating depression severity. It provides ratings on current Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV) symptoms of depression, with the exception of hypersomnia, increased appetite, and concentration/indecision. The HAMD-17 was designed to be administered by a trained clinician using a semi-structured clinical interview. The 17-items are rated on either a 5-point (0-4) or a 3-point (0-2) scale.
Change in MPQBaseline and 2 weeksThe Short-Form McGill Pain Questionnaire (SF-MPQ) is used for the measurement of pain. The measure is calculated by summing the point values for responses to 15 questions. Questions 1-11 deal with the sensory dimension of pain (i.e., the quality of the pain). Questions 12-15 deal with the affective dimension of pain (i.e., how the pain affects you). Subscores for the sensory and affective dimensions are calculated, in addition to a total McGill Pain Score. Higher scores generally correspond to an worsened subjective experience of pain.
Change in PASSBaseline and 2 weeksThe PASS--20 measures fear and anxiety responses specific to pain. It includes four subscales that reflect aspects of avoidance behavior, cognitive anxiety, fear, and physiological anxiety. All items are rated on a scale from 0 (never) to 5 (always).

Countries

United States

Contacts

Primary ContactMeskereen Tolossa
MTolossa@mednet.ucla.edu310-206-9187

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: Feb 4, 2026