Caregiver Burden and Correlation With Clinical Outcome in Spinal Cord Stimulation for Chronic Neuropathic Pain (CAREstim)

July 2, 2025 updated by: Dimitri Vanhauwaert, AZ Delta

Caregiver Burden and Correlation With Clinical Outcome in Spinal Cord

Prospective multicentric observational trial on caregiver burden, caregiver satisfaction and clinical outcome in spinal cord stimulation for chronic neuropathic pain.

Study Overview

Status

Completed

Conditions

Detailed Description

Spinal cord stimulation is an effective therapy for chronic neuropathic pain. After careful selection, the satisfaction for the patient is often considerable. The investigators want to investigate the caregiver burden for relatives of patients who are treated with spinal cord stimulation. This will be evaluated by appropriate scores at baseline, during neurostimulator trial and 3,6 and 12 months after implantation. At the same time the patient satisfaction and pain reduction will also be evaluated independently.

In this prospective cohort different parameters will be assessed at baseline, trial, 3, 6 and 12 months follow-up for the patient and their caregiver.

For the patient this will include Numeric Rating scale (NRS) for leg and back pain, Oswestry Disability Index (ODI), EuroQuality of Life-5 Dimensions score (EQ5D), opiate use and Relation Quality Index (RQI).

For the caregiver the Zarit Burden Index (ZBI), Relation Quality Index (RQI) and Modified Caregiver Strain Index (MCSI).

With regard to the research questions, subgroup analysis will be performed regarding to age, sex, education, neurostimulation pattern, surgical vs percutaneous lead placement, working status of both patient and caregiver and caregiver relation characteristics.

Study Type

Observational

Enrollment (Actual)

42

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

      • Ieper, Belgium, 8900
        • Jan Ypermanziekenhuis
      • Roeselare, Belgium, 8800
        • AZ Delta

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.

Eligibility Criteria

Ages Eligible for Study

18 years and older (Adult, Older Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Sampling Method

Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

All patients who are considered to be treated with spinal cord stimulation in AZ Delta hospital and Jan Yperman hospital between 1/1/2021 and 31/12/2021 are potentially eligible for inclusion. The inclusion is not limited to a specific device and all different types of routinely used spinal cord stimulation systems and neurostimulation modalities are included: percutaneous of surgical lead placement in both thoracic or cervical location. All patients follow the standard flow for screening and reimbursement (neuro pain platform and MAO)

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Patients Age > 18 years
  • Patients with an identified spousal or offspring caregiver
  • Patients receiving neurostimulator for the first time
  • Patient complies to reimbursement criteria for spinal cord stimulation in Belgium

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Non-spinal cord type of neuromodulation (DRG, occipital, peripheral nerve, )
  • Revision cases, previous neuromodulation
  • Patients unable to consent for this study
  • Patients without identified spousal or offspring caregiver

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Zarit Burden index
Time Frame: baseline to 12 months
Zarit Burden index measures the burden of a caregiver in 12 questions
baseline to 12 months
relation quality index caregiver
Time Frame: baseline to 12 months
baseline to 12 months
caregiver strain index
Time Frame: baseline to 12 months
baseline to 12 months

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
NRS pain leg and back
Time Frame: baseline to 12 months
numeric rating scale
baseline to 12 months
Oswestry Disability Index
Time Frame: baseline to 12 months
baseline to 12 months
EuroQol five dimensions EQ-5D
Time Frame: baseline to 12 months
baseline to 12 months
relation quality index patient
Time Frame: baseline to 12 months
baseline to 12 months
analgetics dose
Time Frame: baseline to 12 months
analgetics ( paracetamol, opiates, opioids, non steroidal anti inflammatory and anti neuropathic pain medication
baseline to 12 months

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

January 18, 2021

Primary Completion (Actual)

March 31, 2024

Study Completion (Actual)

March 31, 2024

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

January 26, 2021

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

January 29, 2021

First Posted (Actual)

February 4, 2021

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

July 4, 2025

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

July 2, 2025

Last Verified

July 1, 2025

More Information

Terms related to this study

Other Study ID Numbers

  • B1172020000048
  • CME AZ Delta (Other Identifier: Studie 20130)

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

product manufactured in and exported from the U.S.

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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