Fig. 2
From: Spinal cord stimulation in chronic pain: evidence and theory for mechanisms of action
Parameters for Spinal Cord stimulation: Panel a: Amplitude: the peak current delivered, measured in milliamperes (mA). This impacts the number of fibers recruited and intensity of paresthesia. Amplitudes that are subthreshold do not generate an action potential and thus do not create paresthesia. Pulse Width (PW): the time over which the current is delivered, measured in microseconds (μs). The PW determines the amount of charge delivered for a given amplitude. Mathematical integration of the charge waveform yields the total charge delivered per pulse, measured in nanocoulombs. Increases in PW may recruit additional Aβ Fibers and broaden the area of paresthesia. Frequency: the number of pulses per second, measured in hertz (Hz). Panel b: Burst SCS parameters describing inter-burst frequency, or the number of bursts per second, and intraburst frequency, describing the number of pulses within a burst, measured in Hz. Panel c: The waveform or shape of the pulse can be divided into two segments: depolarization, or deflection above electroneutrality, and repolarization, the return to baseline. The depolarization waveform is determined by whether the system delivers the pulse in a Current-Controlled (CC) or Voltage-Controlled (VC) fashion. Current describes the flow of charge whereas voltage describes the potential difference between electrodes