title: Younger age predicts greater effectiveness of spinal cord stimulation for chronic pain.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Spinal cord stimulation (SCS) is an accepted surgical treatment for neuropathic pain in failed back syndrome or complex regional pain syndrome. However, even in the best selected surgical cases the predictors of adequate pain control are not well defined. The aim of this study was to identify predictors of outcome in patients who underwent SCS in our center.
  
  
  METHODS
  We performed a retrospective analysis of our neurosurgical database for patients who underwent SCS over the last 8 years in an attempt to identify factors predictive of outcome.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Forty-one patients underwent implantation of epidural electrodes, 34 patients had a successful stimulation trial and received permanent devices. Nine patients experienced a late failure at a median time of 7.8 months (range, 4.5-19 months) after implantation. Age was significantly associated with outcome. Younger patients had a significantly lower rate of treatment failure, and none of the patients above 65 years had a successful long-term outcome.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results suggest that younger age is associated with greater long-term effectiveness of spinal cord stimulation and therefore age may influence the success of SCS therapy with older patients having a greater tendency to failure. Earlier intervention may be beneficial in these chronic pain patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Division of Neurosurgery, University of Toronto, Toronto Western Hospital, Toronto, ON, Canada.
authors.forename: Ido
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Strauss
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
authors.forename: Karim
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Taha
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Division of Neurosurgery, University of Toronto, Toronto Western Hospital, Toronto, ON, Canada.
authors.forename: Vibhor
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Krishna
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Division of Neurosurgery, University of Toronto, Toronto Western Hospital, Toronto, ON, Canada. mojgan.hodaie@uhn.ca.
authors.forename: Mojgan
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hodaie
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D059350:Chronic Pain / Q000628:therapy*; D004868:Equipment Failure; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D059408:Pain Management; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D062187:Spinal Cord Stimulation / Q000379:methods*; D017211:Treatment Failure; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Neuropathic pain; SCS; Spinal cord stimulation