Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Related Concept Videos

Motor Unit Stimulation

Motor Unit Stimulation

When the neuron of a motor unit fires an action potential, it triggers a series of events, leading to a twitch contraction in the muscle fibers. The process of excitation-contraction coupling is crucial in relaying the action potential to the muscle fibers.
The latent period of contraction marks the onset of excitation-contraction coupling, when the action potential propagates across the sarcolemma, preparing the muscle fibers for contraction. As the fibers enter the contraction phase, the...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by

Same author

Influence of limb dominance on compensatory foot contacts during unilateral standing in adults with reduced plantar sensation.

Clinical biomechanics (Bristol, Avon)·2026

Same author

Blamed but not at fault: Anti-obesity medication adverse effects misidentified as perioperative complications - a comprehensive review and medicolegal warning for anesthesiologists.

Korean journal of anesthesiology·2026

Same author

Postural sway changes and quality of life measures in older women with chronic low back pain.

European spine journal : official publication of the European Spine Society, the European Spinal Deformity Society, and the European Section of the Cervical Spine Research Society·2026

Same author

Investigating the effectiveness of mobilisation alarms to prevent hospital falls using disinvestment: A randomised clinical trial.

International journal of nursing studies·2025

Same author

Dynamic sensory integration and visual reliance modulation during postural control in older adults with chronic low back pain.

European spine journal : official publication of the European Spine Society, the European Spinal Deformity Society, and the European Section of the Cervical Spine Research Society·2025

Same author

Somatosensory reweighting and visual strategies during three repeated trials of the sensory organization test in adults with chronic low back pain.

European spine journal : official publication of the European Spine Society, the European Spinal Deformity Society, and the European Section of the Cervical Spine Research Society·2025

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 10, 2026

Studying the Coding Profiles of Somatic Stimulation on Cardiac-locked Neuronal Responses in the Rat Spinal Dorsal Horn

Studying the Coding Profiles of Somatic Stimulation on Cardiac-locked Neuronal Responses in the Rat Spinal Dorsal Horn

Published on: May 23, 2025

Pulse width programming in spinal cord stimulation: a clinical study.

Thomas L Yearwood¹, Brad Hershey, Kerry Bradley

¹Comprehensive Pain and Rehabilitation, Pascagoula, MS 39581, USA. nopaindr@mac.com

|July 22, 2010

Summary

Varying pulse width (PW) in spinal cord stimulation (SCS) programming can improve pain management. Some patients experienced better paresthesia-pain overlap and coverage with adjusted PW settings.

More Related Videos

Treating Low Back Pain in Failed Back Surgery Patients with Multicolumn-lead Spinal Cord Stimulation

Treating Low Back Pain in Failed Back Surgery Patients with Multicolumn-lead Spinal Cord Stimulation

Published on: June 26, 2018

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jun 10, 2026

Studying the Coding Profiles of Somatic Stimulation on Cardiac-locked Neuronal Responses in the Rat Spinal Dorsal Horn

Studying the Coding Profiles of Somatic Stimulation on Cardiac-locked Neuronal Responses in the Rat Spinal Dorsal Horn

Published on: May 23, 2025

Treating Low Back Pain in Failed Back Surgery Patients with Multicolumn-lead Spinal Cord Stimulation

Treating Low Back Pain in Failed Back Surgery Patients with Multicolumn-lead Spinal Cord Stimulation

Published on: June 26, 2018

Area of Science:

Neuromodulation
Pain Management
Biomedical Engineering

Background:

Advances in spinal cord stimulation (SCS) technology, including rechargeable devices, offer wider parameter ranges for pain treatment.
Pulse width (PW) programming now extends up to 1000 microseconds, comparable to radiofrequency systems.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the clinical effects of varying pulse width (PW) programming in spinal cord stimulation (SCS).

Main Methods:

A single-center, prospective, randomized, single-blind study evaluated technical and clinical outcomes of PW programming.
Subjects with chronic intractable low back and/or leg pain using SCS underwent PW programming (50-1000 microseconds) on their existing programs.
Outcomes included paresthesia thresholds, coverage, and patient-selected programs.

Main Results:

The median PW of 'walk-out' programs was 400 microseconds, significantly higher than the median chronaxie.
Seven out of 19 patients selected new PW programs, increasing their paresthesia-pain overlap by 56%.
Increased PW appeared to enhance paresthesia coverage in 10 patients and cause a 'caudal shift' in 8 patients.

Conclusions:

Variable PW programming in SCS demonstrates clinical value for pain management.
Adjusting PW can improve paresthesia-pain overlap and modulate paresthesia coverage, potentially 'steering' the stimulation.
Further research is needed due to the small study cohort.