Published research marks major milestone for world’s first international neuromodulation registry

A peer-reviewed paper published in Neuromodulation: Technology at the Neural Interface has documented the successful launch of the International Neuromodulation Registry (INR), the world’s first multinational registry for neuromodulation therapies. 

The publication marks a significant milestone for both the neuromodulation community and NEC Software Solutions. Led by Professor Philippe Rigoard, the paper includes contributions from NEC colleagues Catherine Castillo, Richard Armstrong, Oge Swaby and Richard Hewitt, recognising NEC’s role in designing, developing and delivering the registry. 

For more than a decade, clinicians and researchers have recognised the need for a unified international registry capable of generating consistent, high-quality evidence on neuromodulation therapies. The successful launch of the INR turns that long-standing ambition into reality. 

Now operational across 45 centres in nine countries, the registry provides a shared framework for collecting and analysing data on neuromodulation therapies, helping to support research, benchmarking and improvements in patient care on an international scale. 

This milestone is the result of a collaboration between clinical leaders, researchers, the International Neuromodulation Society (INS), and NEC Software Solutions, bringing together expertise from across healthcare, research, and health technology. 

A decade in the making 

Historically, evidence in neuromodulation has often been generated through individual national registries, single-centre studies and manufacturer-led programmes, making large-scale comparison and collaboration challenging. 

The INR addresses this challenge by enabling organisations across different countries and healthcare systems to contribute to a shared evidence base while maintaining appropriate local governance and privacy controls. It builds on the proven success of National Neuromodulation Registry (NNR) which is governed by Neuromodulation Society of UK and Ireland (NSUKI). 

The first phase of the registry focused on spinal cord stimulation procedures and successfully demonstrated that this multinational model can operate across different healthcare systems and existing registry infrastructures. 

NEC’s strategic role 

Beyond providing the technology platform, NEC helped shape the registry’s architecture, governance framework, data submission pathways and operational processes. As the designated data processor, NEC provides secure hosting, technical infrastructure, data validation and onboarding support. 

Working alongside the INS and an international network of clinicians and researchers, NEC has helped create the foundations for a sustainable multinational registry capable of supporting long-term research and quality improvement. 

NEC is now supporting the next phase of the programme, helping to expand participation and further develop the registry. 

Looking ahead 

As participation grows and longer-term follow-up data become available, the registry is expected to support clinical benchmarking, quality improvement, safety monitoring, health economics research and comparative studies across different patient groups and treatment approaches. 

Future phases will broaden the registry beyond spinal cord stimulation and increase international participation, creating a global evidence base to support clinicians, regulators, manufacturers, payers and patients. 

The publication not only documents the successful launch of the registry but also highlights the impact that collaboration between clinicians, researchers and technology partners can have in advancing healthcare innovation. 

“The INR shows what can be achieved when international clinical leadership is combined with the right infrastructure and decades of health registry expertise. NEC has helped take the programme from concept to multinational implementation, creating a strong foundation for its continued global expansion.” – Caterine Castillo, RWE Specialist, NEC 

Find out more  

To learn more about Registries and RWE solutions click here. To read the full paper click here.