The Clinical journal of pain
-
To identify the changes of local coherence and intrinsic brain activity in resting-state idiopathic trigeminal neuralgia (ITN) patients by using regional homogeneity (ReHo) and fractional aptitude of low-frequency fluctuation (fALFF) analysis. ⋯ Our results showed that ITN patients exhibited significantly abnormal spontaneous brain activity in several brain regions that are involved in pain modulation and perception. The present study reflects the maladaptive process of daily pain attacks and may enhance the understanding of how chronic pain affects local intrinsic brain activity.
-
Review Meta Analysis
Efficacy of 8 Different Drug Treatments for Patients With Trigeminal Neuralgia: A Network Meta-analysis.
Trigeminal neuralgia (TN) is commonly seen in older persons and negatively influences their daily life. Although some research on the efficacy of TN drugs has been conducted, the optimal choice still remains uncertain. Therefore, this network meta-analysis (NMA) evaluated the efficacy and performance of 8 drugs with respect to TN. ⋯ Among the 8 drugs investigated, all exhibited a capacity to alleviate TN more than the placebo except for pimozide and proparacaine. Moreover, LDC, BTX-A, and CBZ stood out for their high efficacy and could be recommended as the primary choice of treatment for TN.
-
To replicate a study by Schutze and colleagues on a headache sample, rather than a heterogenous chronic pain sample, investigating whether level of mindfulness predicts key components in the Fear-Avoidance Model of chronic pain (pain intensity, negative affect, pain catastrophizing, pain-related fear, pain hypervigilance, and functional disability); to investigate the relationships between level of mindfulness and headache/migraine pain intensity, frequency, and duration. ⋯ Findings suggest that mindfulness may be integrated into the Fear-Avoidance Model of chronic pain for individuals with chronic headache/migraine. Directions for future research are discussed.
-
Hyperalgesia and allodynia are typical signs of neuropathic pain. Quantitative sensory testing (QST) is a validated tool to clinically assess these phenomena. However, whether QST reveals findings that are reported by the patients is unclear. The aim of this study was therefore to investigate the association between self-reported symptoms assessed with the painDETECT questionnaire (PDQ) with results of validated QST. ⋯ Results demonstrate that self-reported PDQ symptoms cannot predict abnormal QST values. The poor predictive power of the PDQ may depend on several factors based on possibility of comparison between PDQ and QST and also on methodical issues. Both, symptoms (questionnaires) and signs address complementary aspects of the pain experience and should be considered for diagnosis and treatment of neuropathic pain.
-
Observational Study
Anterior Cutaneous Nerve Entrapment Syndrome in Children: A Prospective Observational Study.
Anterior cutaneous nerve entrapment syndrome (ACNES) is often an overlooked cause of abdominal pain. Data for pediatric patients, especially with regard to the treatment modalities are scarce. The aim of this study was to present a treatment modality of ACNES with combined local subfascial anesthetic and corticosteroid injection in a prospectively collected cohort of pediatric patients. ⋯ ACNES in children can be successfully treated by a combined local subfascial anesthetic and corticosteroid trigger point infiltration.