The Clinical journal of pain
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Validation of two novel electronic devices to time-link transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation and pain report in patients with chronic back pain.
The analgesic effectiveness of transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) is uncertain. Negative findings, interpreted as ineffectiveness, might be due to poor methodological quality. Monitoring is necessary to differentiate between ineffectiveness and low implementation fidelity. Electronic data-logging devices, "TLOG" and "TSCORE," were developed to monitor and time-link TENS and pain report. TLOG records the time and duration of TENS use and output parameters; TSCORE records time-stamped pain scores. The purpose was to determine the accuracy, reliability, and acceptability of the devices. ⋯ TLOG and TSCORE are accurate, reliable, and acceptable devices for monitoring TENS implementation fidelity and pain outcome, with potential for improving TENS research methodology and clinical application.
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Many studies have reported putative factors for the development of chronic pain after surgery. However, advances in knowledge about the etiology and prognosis of chronic postsurgical pain (CPSP) could be gained by improving methodology within studies of surgical pain. The purpose of this study was to review predictive factors and to propose core risk factor and outcome domains for inclusion in future epidemiological studies investigating CPSP. ⋯ There is potential to advance the field of CPSP research by striving for consensus among pain experts; this would advance current evidence by improving our ability to compare findings from different studies and would facilitate the aggregation of surgical cohort datasets to allow international comparisons. We propose these findings as a starting point to build a comprehensive framework for epidemiological studies investigating chronic pain after surgery.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study
The effects of low doses of pregabalin on morphine analgesia in advanced cancer patients.
The aim of this study was to evaluate the opioid response in patients receiving morphine and pregabalin, independently from the presumed pain mechanisms, in comparison with patients receiving morphine treatment only. ⋯ The use of low doses of pregabalin added to morphine therapy in advanced cancer patients does not seem to provide advantageous analgesic effects, despite limitations of the present study due to the number of drop-outs.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Transcranial direct current stimulation of the motor cortex in the treatment of chronic nonspecific low back pain: a randomized, double-blind exploratory study.
To test the proof of principle that active anodal transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) applied to the motor cortex reduces pain significantly more than sham stimulation in a group of participants with chronic nonspecific low back pain. ⋯ These results do not provide evidence that tDCS is effective in the treatment of chronic back pain. The use of a small convenience sample limits the generalizability of these findings and precludes definitive conclusions on the efficacy of tDCS in chronic nonspecific low back pain.