Deep brain stimulation targeting mood-related brain areas to relieve chronic low back pain
Official title: Deep Brain Stimulation of the Subgenual Cingulate Cortex for the Treatment of Medically Refractory Chronic Low Back Pain
Funded at University of California Los Angeles · NIH-10909393 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project uses a next-generation deep brain stimulator to target brain areas involved in the emotional side of chronic low back pain for people whose pain has not improved with other treatments.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of California Los Angeles NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Los Angeles, United States) |
| Project start | September 30, 2019 |
| Project end | July 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $1 |
| NIH project number | 5UH3NS113661-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-10909393 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults with medically refractory chronic low back pain who have not improved with standard medical, interventional, or surgical treatments and who can undergo brain surgery would be the ideal candidates.
✕Less likely to help
People with short-term back pain, clearly surgically correctable spinal problems, or those who respond well to conservative treatments are unlikely to benefit from this experimental brain stimulation.
What this research studies
If you take part, surgeons would implant a next-generation directional deep brain stimulator near the subgenual cingulate cortex — a brain area linked to the emotional (affective) part of pain. Doctors will use patient-specific neuroimaging to steer current toward the networks thought to drive chronic low back pain and will monitor symptoms and brain signals over time. The device (Abbott Infinity™) has segmented electrodes that allow directional stimulation intended to improve safety and targeting compared with older devices. The team will also look for neuroimaging biomarkers that might predict who benefits from this treatment.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this approach could reduce the emotional burden of chronic low back pain and improve daily function for people who have not responded to other therapies.
How similar studies have gone: Although spinal and peripheral neuromodulation have shown mixed results, deep brain stimulation targeting affective brain circuits for chronic low back pain is relatively novel with limited prior evidence of success.
Where this research is happening
-
University of California Los Angeles
Los Angeles, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Bari, Ausaf — University of California Los Angeles
- Study coordinator: Bari, Ausaf
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.