Sensory Responses to Dorsal Root Stimulation

Description

The goal of this project is to characterize the types of sensations that can be evoked via electrical stimulation of the spinal cord and spinal nerves. Patients will be recruited from a local pain clinic, each with a spinal cord stimulation device implanted, to participate in experiments to explore the ability to modulate and control the modality, intensity, focality, and location of the sensations evoked by stimulation through the spinal cord stimulator leads. Investigators will connect spinal cord stimulator leads to a custom stimulator system and will ask subjects to report the types of sensations felt. Invesigators will also perform detailed psychophysical metrics to examine participants' ability to discriminate sensations.

Conditions

Amputation, Sensation, Phantom

Study Overview

Study Details

Study overview

The goal of this project is to characterize the types of sensations that can be evoked via electrical stimulation of the spinal cord and spinal nerves. Patients will be recruited from a local pain clinic, each with a spinal cord stimulation device implanted, to participate in experiments to explore the ability to modulate and control the modality, intensity, focality, and location of the sensations evoked by stimulation through the spinal cord stimulator leads. Investigators will connect spinal cord stimulator leads to a custom stimulator system and will ask subjects to report the types of sensations felt. Invesigators will also perform detailed psychophysical metrics to examine participants' ability to discriminate sensations.

Sensory Responses to Dorsal Root Stimulation

Sensory Responses to Dorsal Root Stimulation

Condition
Amputation
Intervention / Treatment

-

Contacts and Locations

Pittsburgh

University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States, 15213

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

For general information about clinical research, read Learn About Studies.

Eligibility Criteria

  • 1. Subjects must be between the ages of 18 and 70 years old.
  • 2. Subjects must be undergoing an epidural spinal cord implanted electrode array clinical trial with Dr. Helm for the management of pain.
  • 3. Persons must understand the consent and the procedures.
  • 1. Persons with open wounds;
  • 2. Persons with implanted metal rods in the spine or limbs;
  • 3. Persons with defibrillator or pacemaker;
  • 4. Persons with permanent skin metal tags or decorations.

Ages Eligible for Study

18 Years to 70 Years

Sexes Eligible for Study

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Collaborators and Investigators

Lee Fisher, PhD,

Lee Fisher, PhD, PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR, University of Pittsburgh

Study Record Dates

2026-12