• Liong Liem, Marc Russo, Frank J P M Huygen, Jean-Pierre Van Buyten, Iris Smet, Paul Verrills, Michael Cousins, Charles Brooker, Robert Levy, Timothy Deer, and Jeffery Kramer.
• Department of Anesthesiology, Sint Antonius, Nieuwegein, The Netherlands.
• Neuromodulation. 2013 Sep 1; 16 (5): 471-82; discussion 482.

ObjectivesThis multicenter prospective trial was conducted to evaluate the clinical performance of a new neurostimulation system designed to treat chronic pain through the electrical neuromodulation of the dorsal root ganglia (DRG) neurophysiologically associated with painful regions of the limbs and/or trunk.Materials And MethodsThirty-two subjects were implanted with a novel neuromodulation device. Pain ratings during stimulation were followed up to six months and compared with baseline ratings. Subjects also completed two separate reversal periods in which stimulation was briefly stopped in order to establish the effects of the intervention.ResultsAt all assessments, more than half of subjects reported pain relief of 50% or better. At six months postimplant, average overall pain ratings were 58% lower than baseline (p < 0.001), and the proportions of subjects experiencing 50% or more reduction in pain specific to back, leg, and foot regions were 57%, 70%, and 89%, respectively. When stimulation was discontinued for a short time, pain returned to baseline levels. Discrete coverage of hard-to-treat areas was obtained across a variety of anatomical pain distributions. Paresthesia intensity remained stable over time and there was no significant difference in the paresthesia intensity perceived during different body postures/positions (standing up vs. lying down).ConclusionsResults of this clinical trial demonstrate that neurostimulation of the DRG is a viable neuromodulatory technique for the treatment of chronic pain. Additionally, the capture of discrete painful areas such as the feet combined with stable paresthesia intensities across body positions suggest that this stimulation modality may allow more selective targeting of painful areas and reduce unwanted side-effects observed in traditional spinal cord stimulation (SCS).© 2013 International Neuromodulation Society.

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