Are Multidimensional Pain Inventory Coping Strategy Profiles Associated with Long-Term Spinal Cord Stimulation...

Area of Science:

• Pain Management
• Neurosurgery
• Psychology

Background:

• Patient coping mechanisms and psychological factors are crucial for successful pain treatment outcomes.
• Psychological assessments are important for determining patient suitability for spinal cord stimulation (SCS).

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the influence of pre-implantation psychological characteristics on the effectiveness of SCS for chronic pain.
• To identify psychological factors associated with SCS treatment failure.

Main Methods:

• A cohort of 137 patients undergoing SCS implantation was analyzed.
• Pre-implantation psychological screening included coping strategies (Multidimensional Pain Inventory) and psychiatric disorders (Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview).
• Patients were categorized into long-term pain relief, trial explant, and permanent explant groups based on outcomes.

Main Results:

• Patients who failed SCS treatment (trial and permanent explant groups) frequently exhibited dysfunctional coping profiles.
• A higher prevalence of psychiatric disorders was observed in patients with unsuccessful SCS outcomes, significantly affecting pain perception.
• Dysfunctional coping and psychiatric comorbidities were linked to SCS treatment failure.

Conclusions:

• Multidisciplinary screening, including psychological assessment, is valuable for SCS patient selection.
• Addressing psychological issues pre-SCS implantation can potentially decrease treatment failure rates.
• Optimizing psychological readiness may enhance spinal cord stimulation efficacy for chronic pain management.