Do psychological assessment tools predict spinal cord stimulation treatment outcomes?
Authors' conclusion
Psychological measures were not strong independent predictors of binary SCS success. Instead, depressive burden influenced early pain-response coupling, while cognitive-rigidity traits were associated with smaller long-term improvement.
Study context
- Population
- Patients undergoing SCS implantation153 at 6 months, 155 at 12 months followed up
- Participants
- 217 patients
- Outcome
- Treatment success (≥30% reduction in NRS pain from baseline)
- Follow-up
- 6 and 12 months
Methodological detailscomplete-case analysis
- Complete-case analysis
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
Treatment success
- Success rate at 6 months (59/153)
- 38.6%
- Success rate at 12 months (47/155)
- 30.3%
- 6 months: baseline Numeric Rating Scale (NRS) borderline associated with success, OR 1.39, 95% CI 0.99 to 2.01
- p=0.056
- 12 months: 'denial of depression' trend toward lower odds of success, OR 0.34, 95% CI 0.09 to 1.11
- p=0.074
- 12 months: age borderline association
- p=0.056
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
Depression-by-pain interaction (linear models)
- Baseline–follow-up pain relationship strongest in minimal Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), weaker in higher BDI categories; overall model significant (R²=0.145)
- P = 0.005
- Individual interaction terms not significant
BDI vs ΔNRS (partial Spearman)
- 6 months, ρ=−0.199, n=133
- P = 0.023
- 12 months, ρ=−0.060, n=137
- P = 0.493
Perfectionism and resistance-to-change vs 12-month improvement
- Perfectionism, unadjusted
- P = 0.0177
- Resistance-to-change, unadjusted
- P = 0.0378
- Perfectionism, multivariable β = −1.195
- P = 0.010
- Resistance-to-change, multivariable β = −1.101
- P = 0.009
- Multivariable model R2=0.077
- P = 0.0025
- Associated with smaller improvement
Original publication
Do psychological assessment tools predict spinal cord stimulation treatment outcomes? Reg Anesth Pain Med. Published 3 June 2026. doi:10.
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