European journal of pain : EJP
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Complex regional pain syndrome is a severe complication following trauma that is associated with vasomotor, sudomotor and sensory disturbances in an affected limb or region of the body. The exact physiopathology is not fully understood yet. ⋯ We here describe two otherwise treatment-resistant patients with complex regional pain syndrome and high-titre beta2 adrenergic receptor autoantibodies, who did respond to plasmapheresis. Both patients showed strong improvement of pain and autonomic symptoms measured by impairment level sum score.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation in neuropathic pain secondary to malignancy: A randomized clinical trial.
Significant analgesic effects of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) have been found in several studies of patients with chronic pain of various origins, but never for malignancy. The objective of this study was to assess the efficacy of 10 sessions of rTMS over the primary motor cortex (M1) in patients suffering from malignant neuropathic pain. ⋯ The results demonstrate that 10 rTMS sessions over the M1 can induce short-term pain relief in malignant neuropathic pain.
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The COMFORT behaviour scale (COMFORT-B scale) is widely used in paediatric intensive care units to assess young children's pain and distress. It is also used to assess the impact of treatment interventions, but little is known on the scale's sensitivity to detect changes between before and after measurements following an intervention. This study explored the sensitivity to change of the COMFORT-B scale. ⋯ This is the first study demonstrating that the COMFORT-B scale detects treatment-related changes in pain or distress intensity. This implies that COMFORT-B assessments can effectively guide analgesic and sedation treatment in critically ill children.
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The aim of this study was to examine the associations of birthweight, gestation and 5-min Apgar score with self-reported chronic nonspecific pain in a large, unselected adolescent population. ⋯ Perinatal factors, and especially preterm birth and low birthweight, did not seem to have a major impact on pain complaints in adolescence.
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Descending pain modulatory systems control transmission of nociceptive information at the spinal level, and their activity can be modified by cognitive and emotional processes. Thus, it may be possible to learn using cognitive-emotional strategies to specifically target descending pathways in order to achieve pain reduction. ⋯ The present results suggest that healthy subjects are able to learn using cognitive and emotional strategies to reduce their spinal nociception under feedback of their RIII reflex size. However, future studies will have to include a sham feedback group to differentiate true learning effects from expectancy effects induced by the feedback procedure.