Understanding Spinal Cord Stimulation for Pain Relief
From Nerve to Brain: Toward a Mechanistic Understanding of Spinal Cord Stimulation in Human Subjects
This work aims to discover how spinal cord stimulators reduce pain in people, helping us make these devices better and choose the right patients for treatment.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Massachusetts General Hospital NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Boston, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11336235 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
We want to understand how spinal cord stimulators (SCS) work to relieve chronic pain. Our main idea is that SCS devices change how sensitive certain nerve fibers are in the spinal cord, which then helps reduce pain signals. We will use special tests to measure these nerve changes and also look at other factors like brain inflammation and blood markers to get a full picture of how SCS affects the body.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: This work is relevant for patients experiencing chronic pain who are considering or currently using spinal cord stimulators.
Not a fit: Patients whose pain is not related to conditions treated by spinal cord stimulation may not directly benefit from this specific research.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to improved spinal cord stimulator designs, more effective stimulation patterns, and better ways to identify which patients will benefit most from this treatment.
How similar studies have performed: While spinal cord stimulators are commonly used, the exact mechanisms of how they reduce pain are not fully understood, making this a novel approach to gain deeper insights.
Where this research is happening
Boston, United States
- Massachusetts General Hospital — Boston, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Wainger, Brian Jason — Massachusetts General Hospital
- Study coordinator: Wainger, Brian Jason
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 below.