Muscle & nerve
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The reliability of thermal quantitative sensory testing (QST) has yet to be fully established. In this study we investigated intra- and interrater reliability of thermal QST in a blinded manner. ⋯ In young, healthy adults, thermal detection and heat pain thresholds of the hand demonstrated good reliability for group comparisons and individual analyses. Cold pain threshold measures may be suitable for group comparisons, but a large variance in the data limits individual analyses.
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Clinical Trial
Effect of botulinum neurotoxin treatment in the lateral spread monitoring of microvascular decompression for hemifacial spasm.
Botulinum neurotoxin (BtNtx) treatment for hemifacial spasm (HFS) prior to microvascular decompression (MVD) is hypothesized to be a factor in the variability of intraoperative neurophysiological monitoring (IONM) during this procedure. ⋯ HFS patients treated with BtNtx prior to MVD demonstrated higher LSR baseline amplitudes during IONM. This could be related to muscle poly-reinnervation after recovery from repeated BtNtx use.
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Malignant hyperthermia (MH) is a potentially lethal anesthetic complication characterized by muscle hypermetabolism and generalized rigor. The exact mechanism of succinylcholine as an MH trigger cannot be examined in existing in vitro models. Therefore, a novel in vivo model was used to examine the metabolic response to succinylcholine. ⋯ Halothane, but not succinylcholine, induced a hypermetabolic reaction in this model. Therefore, the role of succinylcholine as an MH trigger remains questionable.
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Multicenter Study Comparative Study
Median nerve changes following steroid injection for carpal tunnel syndrome.
Neuromuscular ultrasound is a painless, radiation-free, high-resolution imaging modality for assessment of the peripheral nervous system. The purpose of this study was to use neuromuscular ultrasound to assess the changes that occur in the median nerve after steroid injection for carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS). ⋯ These findings suggest neuromuscular ultrasound is potentially helpful for the assessment of individuals undergoing treatment for CTS, as typical changes can be expected after successful treatment injection.
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Palliative care services that address physical pain and emotional, psychosocial, and spiritual needs may benefit individuals with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD). ⋯ The data suggest a need for improved awareness of palliative care and related services among families of young men with DMD.