Burst Spinal Cord Stimulation (Burst-SCS) Study

Recently a new form of spinal cord stimulation therapy called burst spinal cord stimulation (Burst-SCS) is available to treat chronic pain. The goal of this study is to learn more about how Burst-SCS works to reduce chronic pain. The study will examine chronic pain patients who have been deemed candidates for Burst-SCS therapy, and who have already been selected to receive a temporary externalized trial of Burst-SCS from their own doctors as part of their standard clinical care for chronic pain management. During the study, participants will be asked to complete a variety of evaluations at certain time points. In addition, there will be a randomized, double blind, crossover phase, where the particular effects of Burst-SCS and sham SCS will be evaluated. The device used to deliver Burst-SCS and sham SCS is the St. Jude Medical Invisible Trial System.

The study was terminated early following the identification of data quality concerns and protocol integrity issues, specifically related to inadequate sham stimulation parameters and compromised participant blinding. Results reporting was significantly delayed due to research-related pauses during the COVID-19 pandemic. Although there were initial plans to resume enrollment and study procedures once feasible, a comprehensive review of the study data identified the protocol integrity concerns, leading to the decision to terminate the study.