System and method of performing computer assisted stimulation programming (CASP) with a non-zero starting value customized to a patient

A method, comprising:

• applying an electrical stimulation to a patient via a lead having one or more electrodes located thereon;
• increasing a stimulation parameter of the electrical stimulation, wherein the stimulation parameter includes stimulation amplitude, stimulation pulse width, or stimulation frequency;
• measuring a change in an evoked action potential while the stimulation parameter is being increased from a previous value to a current value;
• determining, based on the monitoring, an amount of increase between each evoked action potential corresponding to the current value of the stimulation parameter and a previous evoked action potential corresponding to the previous value of the stimulation parameter;
• determining, based on the amount of increase, whether the evoked action potential has reached a predefined threshold;
• in response to a determination that the predefined threshold of the evoked action potential has been reached, recording a first value of the stimulation parameter that resulted in the predefined threshold of the evoked action potential being reached;
• calculating a starting value of a computer assisted stimulation programming process as a value that is equal to the first value or smaller than the first value by a predefined number, wherein the computer assisted stimulation programming process automatically adjusts the stimulation parameter via a computer processor;
• performing the computer assisted stimulation programming process, wherein the computer assisted stimulation programming process comprises ramping up the stimulation parameter, for each of the electrodes, from the starting value toward a predetermined maximum value;
• and
• determining a perception threshold for each of the electrodes based on the performing of the computer assisted stimulation programming process.

A system, comprising:

• a pulse generator configured to generate electrical stimulation;
• a lead having a plurality of electrodes thereon and configured to deliver the electrical stimulation to a patient;
• and
• an electronic programmer configured to perform operations comprising:
• increasing a stimulation parameter of the electrical stimulation, wherein the stimulation parameter includes stimulation amplitude, stimulation pulse width, or stimulation frequency;
• monitoring, via a subset of the electrodes as sensing electrodes or using one or more external electrodes as the sensing electrodes, an evoked action potential while the stimulation parameter is being increased from a previous value to a current value;
• determining, based on the monitoring, an amount of increase between each evoked action potential corresponding to the current value of the stimulation parameter and a previous evoked action potential corresponding to the previous value of the stimulation parameter;
• determining, based on the amount of increase, whether a threshold of the evoked action potential has been reached;
• and
• in response to a determination that the threshold of the evoked action potential has been reached, recording a first value of the stimulation parameter that resulted in the threshold of the evoked action potential being reached.