The Clinical journal of pain
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Primary motor cortex (M1) organization differs between individuals with and without chronic low back pain (CLBP), in parallel with motor and sensory impairments. This study investigated whether movement behaviour and tactile/pain sensation are related to M1 organisation in CLBP. ⋯ This study confirms that M1 maps differ between people with and without CLBP, but these changes are variable within the CLBP group and are not related to motor and sensory features in a simple manner.
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Meta Analysis Comparative Study
Dexamethasone Injected Perineurally is More Effective than Administered Intravenously for Peripheral Nerve Blocks: A Meta-analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.
Peripheral nerve blocks (PNBs) are widely and increasingly used for better acute perioperative pain control for a variety of procedures. Clinically preservative-free dexamethasone is arguably the most commonly used adjuvant and offers the most optimization effects on PNBs yet with the least side-effects noted. Our aim was to compare the effectiveness of intravenous versus perineural dexamethasone on the effectiveness and safety of PNBs. ⋯ This investigation not only confirmed the better analgesic effects of perineurally administered dexamethasone as compared with its intravenous injection, but also implicitly supported the hypothesis of local interaction between dexamethasone and the nerve as one of the pain modulation mechanisms of dexamethasone, because systemic absorption alone could not explain the superior quality of PNBs.
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Painful stump neuromas in lower limb amputees are a significant burden on a person's quality of life due to interference with wearing prostheses and therefore the ability to walk. Treating painful stump neuromas is a challenge perhaps reflected by the lack of clinical guidelines. ⋯ The 4 treatments that showed most promise included targeted nerve implantation, traction neurectomy, nerve-to-nerve anastomosis, and perineurial gluing. The short follow-up times and small sample sizes of the studies highlighted the need for more robust clinical studies.
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Chronic low back pain (CLBP) is a major health issue, yet its underlying mechanisms remain unknown. Studies have demonstrated the importance of emotion and cognition in chronic pain; however, the relevant brain physiology in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies are unclear in CLBP populations. Therefore, this review aimed to identify MRI brain changes and examine their potential relationship with emotional and cognitive processes in CLBP. ⋯ The brain changes in CLBP groups were mainly observed in areas and networks important in emotion and cognition, rather than those typically associated with nociception. This supports the understanding that emotional and cognitive processes may be the core contributor to the CLBP experience; however, future studies need to explore these processes further.
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Understanding the relationship between chronic pain and neurocognition has important implications for the assessment and treatment of patient experiencing pain. This paper provides an overview of the current literature examining the neurocognition-chronic pain relationship and suggests future avenues of research, along with a discussion of clinical implications of the literature findings. Consideration of potential moderators and mediators of this relationship, as well as a brief discussion of the importance of future research in special populations at particular risk for these problems, are also a focus of this paper. ⋯ Several factors may moderate or mediate the relationship between chronic pain and neurocognitive functioning, including mood symptoms, medication side effects, and intensity and/or chronicity of pain. Limitations in the literature include a paucity of methodologically rigorous studies controlling for confounding variables (eg, opioid analgesia) and a limited number of studies examining the relationship between chronic pain and traumatic brain injury (a potential precipitant of both pain and neurocognitive impairment). Nonetheless, findings from the existing literature have significant clinical implications, including for populations with heightened risk of both pain and neurocognitive disorders.