Journal of anesthesia
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Journal of anesthesia · Aug 2017
Attenuation of cortical activity triggering descending pain inhibition in chronic low back pain patients: a functional magnetic resonance imaging study.
A considerable portion of chronic low back pain (cLBP) patients lack anatomical abnormality, resist conventional therapeutic interventions, and their symptoms are often complicated with psychological and social factors. Such patients have been reported to show cerebral abnormalities both in anatomy and function by neuroimaging studies. Here we examined differences in cerebral reactivity to a simulated low back pain stimulus between cLBP patients and healthy controls by functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), and their behavioral correlates from a psychophysical questionnaire. ⋯ The cLBP patients showed attenuated reactivity to pain at the ACC and DLPFC, known cortical areas mediating affective component, and top-down modulation, of pain. The present results might be associated with possible dysfunction of the descending pain inhibitory system in patients with chronic low back pain, which might possibly play a role in chronification of pain.
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Journal of anesthesia · Aug 2017
General anesthetic actions on GABAA receptors in vivo are reduced in phospholipase C-related catalytically inactive protein knockout mice.
The aim of this study was to investigate the action of general anesthetics in phospholipase C-related catalytically inactive protein (PRIP)-knockout (KO) mice that alter GABAAreceptor signaling. ⋯ PRIP regulates the cell surface expression of the GABAAreceptor β3 subunit and modulates general anesthetic action in vivo. Elucidation of the involved regulatory mechanisms of GABAAreceptor-dependent signaling would inform the development of safer anesthetic therapies for clinical applications.
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Journal of anesthesia · Aug 2017
Influence of maternal remifentanil concentration on fetal-to-maternal ratio in pregnant ewes.
Maternal remifentanil infusion is used for minimally invasive fetal surgery or ex-utero intrapartum treatment. The fetal-to-maternal (F/M) ratio of remifentanil concentration at various dosing regimens is useful to manage remifentanil effects. The aim of this study was to investigate the F/M ratio of remifentanil at various concentrations. ⋯ The F/M ratio was constant at a steady state regardless of the remifentanil concentration up to 29.9 ng/mL, and increased in the elimination phase in pregnant ewes.