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Persistent Pain SyndromeNCT07865806

Understanding Spinal Cord Stimulation in Daily Life: Data Collection Via Smartwatch, Patient Questionnaires, and Stimulation Settings

An observational study of Persistent Pain Syndrome, run by Julia Mahler.

Not yet recruiting

Opening soon. The study is approved but enrolment has not started yet. Sites may already take enquiries.

Sites and contacts
Official record
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Trial summary

This study investigates how people do in everyday life after they receive spinal cord stimulation (SCS), a treatment used for long-term back and leg pain that has not improved with other treatments. Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages 18 years and older
Conditions the study is for
Persistent Pain Syndrome
What is being tested?
Wearable-Based Continuous Physiological Monitoring with Implantable Pulse Generator (IPG) Data Correlation
Type of treatment
Medical device
How many people
35 participants
Where
No sites listed yet
Study dates
1 Jan 2027to 30 Jul 2030
Phase
Observational
Are there results?
Not yet: the study is under way

Key requirements

Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.

  • Ages 18 years and older
  • All sexes
  • No healthy volunteers
  • Adult, Older adult

Study population: Adult patients undergoing evaluation for spinal cord stimulation (SCS) trial implantation for chronic back and/or leg pain following prior spinal surgery, who subsequently proceed to definitive implantable pulse generator (IPG) implantation after a successful trial stimulation, are eligible for inclusion. Patients are recruited from the outpatient neurosurgical clinic setting prior to their planned SCS trial. Only patients who go on to receive a permanent IPG implant are included in the final analysis cohort; those with a negative trial stimulation who do not proceed to permanent implantation are not included.

Who may be able to join

  • Adults aged 18 years or older
  • Symptoms consistent with PSPS types 1 and 2
  • Evaluation of a first-time SCS trial implantation
  • Ownership of a smartphone or access to an internet-enabled device compatible with the study platform and and wearable and he ability to use the study platform
  • Willingness to consistently wear a wearable device throughout the entire study period
  • Written informed consent
  • Sufficient German language skills for written patient education and valid PROM assessment
  • For patients > 65 years of age, MoCA score >25

Who cannot join

  • Mild or severe cognitive (MoCA score <25) or psychiatric disorders with significant impairment of study compliance (e.g. bipolar or schizoaffective disorders, severe depression)
  • Concomitant neurological or orthopedic conditions that significantly limit mobility or gait (e.g., spastic paresis, gait ataxia, Parkinson's disease, severe coxarthrosis, history of amputation)
  • Previous SCS (test) implantation
  • Cardiovascular diseases that impair interpretation of heart rate or HRV (e.g., atrial fibrillation, pacemaker dependency)
  • Skin conditions or allergies that make it impossible to wear a wearable device continuously
  • Language or communication barriers
  • Concurrent participation in interventional studies that alter stimulation settings or pain management in a protocol-controlled manner

Trial locations and contacts

No sites are listed yet. Contact the study team or a site near you to ask about taking part.

About this study

Official title: Prospective Evaluation of Wearable-Based Physiological Parameters, Patient-Reported Outcomes, and Stimulation Settings in Patients With Spinal Cord Stimulation

This study investigates how people do in everyday life after they receive spinal cord stimulation (SCS), a treatment used for long-term back and leg pain that has not improved with other treatments. Participants will already be scheduled to have this treatment as part of their normal medical care, whether or not they take part in the study.

People who join the study will wear a smartwatch that records parameters like step count, heart rate, sleep quality, and activity level, starting about 2 to 4 weeks before their surgery and continuing for 12 months afterward. They will also answer short questionnaires about their pain, mood, and quality of life through a study app/website, and will receive educational information about their condition and their stimulation device. In addition, the settings of the implanted stimulation device will be recorded at the same time points.

The goal is to see whether the information collected from the smartwatch and the questionnaires is related to the settings of the stimulation device and to how well people are doing over time. This may help doctors better understand how SCS affects daily life, and could help improve how patients are followed up and selected for this treatment in the future.

Being tested
Wearable-Based Continuous Physiological Monitoring with Implantable Pulse Generator (IPG) Data Correlation

What participants receive

What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.

  • Wearable-Based Continuous Physiological Monitoring with Implantable Pulse Generator (IPG) Data CorrelationDevice

    Participants scheduled for spinal cord stimulation (SCS) as part of routine clinical care wear a commercially available wristband-type wearable device (e.g., smartwatch) continuously from approximately 4 weeks before the SCS trial through 12 months after definitive implantation of the pulse generator (IPG). The wearable passively records physiological and activity parameters (step count, heart rate, heart rate variability, sleep quality, stress level, activity level) via the study platform, which are synchronized every two weeks. At six defined study time points (2 weeks preoperative, 2 and 6 weeks, and 3, 6, and 12 months postoperative), these wearable-derived parameters are analyzed together with PROMS and IPG stimulation settings obtained through the patient's implanted device. The SCS therapy itself, including implantation and stimulation programming, is administered entirely according to standard clinical practice and is not altered or dict

Study groups in NCT07865806
Study groupRoleWhat they receive
SCS Implant CohortNot described
Receives: Device: Wearable-Based Continuous Physiological Monitoring with Implantable Pulse Generator (IPG) Data Correlation

What is being measured

The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.

  1. Correlation coefficient from a linear mixed model quantifying the association between daily step count (wrist-worn wearable) and the Oswestry Disability Index adjusted for IPG stimulation settings and measurement time point

    Measured: 2 weeks preoperative and 2 and 6 weeks, 3, 6, and 12 months postoperative

  2. Correlation coefficient from a linear mixed model quantifying the association between heart rate (wrist-worn wearable) and the Oswestry Disability Index, adjusted for IPG stimulation settings and measurement time point

    Measured: 2 weeks preoperative and 2 and 6 weeks, 3, 6, and 12 months postoperative

  3. Correlation coefficient from a linear mixed model quantifying the association between heart rate variability and the Oswestry Disability Index, adjusted for IPG stimulation settings and measurement time poi

    Measured: 2 weeks preoperative and 2 and 6 weeks, 3, 6, and 12 months postoperative

  4. Mean daily step count recorded via wrist-worn wearable device over consecutive two-week measurement windows, adjusted for IPG stimulation settings, modeled using a linear mixed model.

    Measured: 2 weeks preoperative to 12 months postoperative, assessed in biweekly measurement windows

  5. Mean resting heart rate recorded via wrist-worn wearable device over consecutive two-week measurement windows, adjusted for IPG stimulation settings, modeled using a linear mixed model

    Measured: 2 weeks preoperative to 12 months postoperative, assessed in biweekly measurement windows

  6. Mean heart rate variability recorded via wrist-worn wearable device over consecutive two-week measurement windows, adjusted for IPG stimulation settings, modeled using a linear mixed model.

    Measured: 2 weeks preoperative to 12 months postoperative, assessed in biweekly measurement windows

Timeline

From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.

  1. First posted8 Oct 2026
  2. Study start1 Jan 2027 (estimated)
  3. Primary completion31 Dec 2029 (estimated)
  4. Study completion30 Jul 2030 (estimated)

Resources

More details

For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.

Study design
Study type
Observational
Observational model
Cohort
Time perspective
Prospective
Enrolment
35 participants (estimated)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT07865806
Sponsor's protocol ID
KSSG-NCH-SCS-2026
Status last verified
Oct 2026
First submitted
27 Sep 2026
Last updated
8 Oct 2026
Results posted
No
Data monitoring committee
No
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No
Individual data sharing
Undecided

Publications

  • Do TT, Smet I, Jerjir A, Vandamme K, Devos M, Van Buyten JP. Real-World Analysis: Long-Term Effect of Spinal Cord Stimulation With Different Waveforms for Patients With Failed Back Surgery Syndrome. Pain Pract. 2021 Feb;21(2):215-225. doi: 10.1111/papr.12952. Epub 2020 Oct 21.

    PubMed 32964562
  • Goudman L, Brouns R, Linderoth B, Moens M. Effects of Spinal Cord Stimulation on Heart Rate Variability in Patients With Failed Back Surgery Syndrome: Comparison Between a 2-lead ECG and a Wearable Device. Neuromodulation. 2021 Apr;24(3):512-519. doi: 10.1111/ner.13091. Epub 2019 Dec 25.

    PubMed 31876094
  • Venkatraman V, Bharmi R, Coletti F, Gellad ZF, Lempel N, Amit R, Blank N, Brown J, Kumar C, Fishman M, Vallejo R, Datta D, Reeve BB, Chakravarthy K, Sharan AD, Lad SP. Real World Characterization of Chronic Pain, Success Rates and Implant Rates: Evidence from a Digital Health Platform of Patients Undergoing Spinal Cord Stimulation Evaluations. J Pain. 2023 Dec;24(12):2228-2239. doi: 10.1016/j.jpain.2023.07.008. Epub 2023 Aug 2.

    PubMed 37541604
  • Deer TR, Esposito MF, Cornidez EG, Okaro U, Fahey ME, Chapman KB. Teleprogramming Service Provides Safe and Remote Stimulation Options for Patients with DRG-S and SCS Implants. J Pain Res. 2021 Oct 14;14:3259-3265. doi: 10.2147/JPR.S332966. eCollection 2021.

    PubMed 34703301
  • Bernaerts L, Roelant E, Lecomte F, Moens M, Van Buyten JP, Billet B, Bryon B, Puylaert M, Turgay T, Malone M, Theys T, Van Zundert J, Berquin A, Crombez E, De Coster O, Vangeneugden J, Ly HG, Louagie M, Hans GH. Large-scale real-world data on a multidisciplinary approach to spinal cord stimulation for persistent spinal pain syndromes: first evaluation of the Neuro-Pain(R) nationwide screening and follow-up interactive register. Front Neurosci. 2024 Mar 22;18:1322105. doi: 10.3389/fnins.2024.1322105. eCollection 2024.

    PubMed 38586192
  • Deer TR, Grider JS, Lamer TJ, Pope JE, Falowski S, Hunter CW, Provenzano DA, Slavin KV, Russo M, Carayannopoulos A, Shah JM, Harned ME, Hagedorn JM, Bolash RB, Arle JE, Kapural L, Amirdelfan K, Jain S, Liem L, Carlson JD, Malinowski MN, Bendel M, Yang A, Aiyer R, Valimahomed A, Antony A, Craig J, Fishman MA, Al-Kaisy AA, Christelis N, Rosenquist RW, Levy RM, Mekhail N. A Systematic Literature Review of Spine Neurostimulation Therapies for the Treatment of Pain. Pain Med. 2020 Nov 7;21(7):1421-1432. doi: 10.1093/pm/pnz353.

    PubMed 32034422
  • Kumar K, Taylor RS, Jacques L, Eldabe S, Meglio M, Molet J, Thomson S, O'Callaghan J, Eisenberg E, Milbouw G, Buchser E, Fortini G, Richardson J, North RB. Spinal cord stimulation versus conventional medical management for neuropathic pain: a multicentre randomised controlled trial in patients with failed back surgery syndrome. Pain. 2007 Nov;132(1-2):179-88. doi: 10.1016/j.pain.2007.07.028. Epub 2007 Sep 12.

    PubMed 17845835

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

An observational study of Persistent Pain Syndrome, run by Julia Mahler.

The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.

Who may be eligible to take part?

The sponsor lists 8 inclusion and 7 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.

Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?

The record says: opening soon, as of the sponsor's last update on 8 Oct 2026. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.

What are the possible benefits and risks?

They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.

Are results available for this study?

This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.

How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?

Contact Julia Mahler, MD (+ 41 71 494 11 11, julia.mahler@h-och.ch), or a site near the patient. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.

What does the primary outcome measure?

Correlation coefficient from a linear mixed model quantifying the association between daily step count (wrist-worn wearable) and the Oswestry Disability Index adjusted for IPG stimulation settings and measurement time point (time frame: 2 weeks preoperative and 2 and 6 weeks, 3, 6, and 12 months postoperative). The study lists 6 primary outcomes in all. It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.

Where can I read the original study information?

On the ClinicalTrials.gov record for NCT07865806, which also lists 7 linked publications.

Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?

No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.

How often is this information updated?

AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 8 Oct 2026.

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