The Clinical journal of pain
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Randomized Controlled Trial
The Role of Cognitive Content and Cognitive Processes in Chronic Pain: An Important Distinction?
Pain-related cognitive content (what people think about pain) and cognitive processes (how people think about pain; what they do with their pain-related thoughts) and their interaction are hypothesized to play distinct roles in patient function. However, questions have been raised regarding whether it is possible or practical to assess cognitive content and cognitive process as distinct domains. The aim of this study was to determine the extent to which measures that seem to assess mostly pain-related cognitive content, cognitive processes, and content and process, are relatively independent from each other and contribute unique variance to the prediction of patient function. ⋯ The results provide preliminary evidence for the possibility that mindfulness could have both benefits and costs. Research to evaluate this possibility is warranted.
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Observational Study
Short-term Impact of Assisted Deliveries: Evaluation Based on Behavioral Pain Scoring and Heart Rate Variability.
Assisted deliveries (ADs) are used in current practice by obstetrical teams during labor when the fetus is likely to face difficulties. In this study, we hypothesized that pain related to instrumental delivery could impair autonomic nervous system (ANS) activity. ⋯ ADs (vacuum, forceps, or both) are associated with persistent pain after birth, unlike normal vaginal deliveries. Moreover ADs are associated with reduced NIPE. Taken together, our results suggest that pain related to instrumental delivery impairs the ANS activity.
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The objective of this study was to investigate somatosensory nerve fiber function by applying different quantitative sensory testing including thermal, mechanical, and vibration thresholds over latent trigger points (TrP) and in its associated referred pain area. ⋯ Assessing sensory changes over latent myofascial TrPs reveal mechanical hyperesthesia, pressure pain hyperalgesia, and vibration hypoesthesia compared with a contralateral mirror area.
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Fibromyalgia (FM) is a type of chronic musculoskeletal pain without a clear peripheral origin of nociception, often associated with depression. The underlying pathophysiology involves changes in a functional network that is related to pain and emotional processing in the central nervous system. Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) targeting the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex or the occipital nerve (ON) is a noninvasive neuromodulation technique capable of improving fibromyalgia symptoms. This study aims to test the effect of combining 2 targets of stimulation using tDCS. ⋯ This study suggests that adding right-anode bifrontal tDCS to ONS has no added benefit in improving fibromyalgia-related symptoms.
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To identify factors associated with low back pain (LBP) in children and adolescents. ⋯ Future studies should focus on muscle characteristics, the relationship between body and backpack weights, duration of carrying the backpack, characteristics of sport practice, and which are the factors associated with specifically chronic pain.