Neuroscience research
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Neuroscience research · May 2012
Salivary α-amylase and cortisol responsiveness following electrical stimulation stress in panic disorder patients.
Psychosocial stress-induced activation of salivary α-amylase (sAA) functions is as a marker of sympathoadrenal medullary system (SAM) activity. However, in contrast to salivary cortisol, sAA has been less extensively studied in panic disorder patients. The present study measured sAA and salivary cortisol levels in patients with panic disorder following electrical stimulation stress. ⋯ In addition, there were no differences in salivary cortisol levels between responder and non-responder groups of patients with panic disorder and control. The sample may not be representative of the general population. These preliminary results suggest that sAA might be useful predictive biological markers of treatment responsiveness in patients with panic disorder.
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Neuroscience research · May 2012
Absence of mechanical hyperalgesia after exercise (delayed onset muscle soreness) in neonatally capsaicin-treated rats.
Delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) appears with some delay after unaccustomed, strenuous exercise, especially after lengthening contraction (LC). It is characterized by tenderness and movement related pain, namely muscular mechanical hyperalgesia. ⋯ In these animals, LC failed to induce muscular mechanical hyperalgesia. mRNA of nerve growth factor (NGF) in the muscle, which plays a pivotal role in maintaining mechanical hyperalgesia, was upregulated in the capsaicin treated animals similar to the vehicle treated animals. These results demonstrate that C-fiber afferents are essential in transmitting the nociceptive information from exercised muscle in DOMS.