European journal of pain : EJP
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A significant minority of chronic migraine (CM) subjects fail conventional medical treatment (rCM), becoming highly disabled. Implantation of an occipital nerve stimulator is a therapeutic option for these subjects. Paresthesia-free cervical 10 kHz spinal cord stimulation (HF10 SCS) may provide an alternative. We report the results of a prospective, open-label, exploratory study assessing the long-term safety, tolerability and efficacy of cervical HF10 SCS in cohort of rCM subjects. ⋯ Paresthesia-free cervical HF10 SCS may be a safe and effective therapeutic option for chronic migraineurs refractory to conventional treatments.
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Pain is a prominent feature of interstitial cystitis/painful bladder syndrome (IC/PBS), but the underlying mechanisms are not fully understood. There is a lack of well-characterized research tools, such as pain evaluation methods and experimental animal models, for investigating non-ulcerative cystitis. We developed a novel method for evaluating bladder pain in mice with cyclophosphamide (CYP)-induced cystitis. ⋯ The blunt probe method is useful for evaluating bladder pain signalling in mice, and revealed the involvement of an NGF-sensitive pain pathway in chronic cystitis pain. This assessment method may be useful for studying the pathophysiology of bladder pain and for developing therapeutic strategies for non-ulcerative IC/PBS in patients.
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Prism adaptation (PA) is a non-invasive procedure in which participants perform a visuo-motor pointing task while wearing prism goggles inducing a lateral displacement of the visual field and a mismatch between the seen and felt position of the pointing hand. PA is thought to induce a reorganization of sensorimotor coordination, and has been used successfully to rehabilitate neglect following right-hemisphere lesions. Because studies have shown that complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) is associated with neglect-like symptoms, it was proposed that PA could be used to alleviate pain in these patients. ⋯ By highlighting open issues, our review provides guidelines for future studies on the use of prisms in pain. The assessment of neglect in patients with CRPS as well as other types of lateralized chronic pain should be characterized using a combination of neuropsychological methods assessing the multiple aspects of neglect in a more refined manner. In addition, further studies should investigate the mechanisms through which PA may modulate pain.
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Psoriasis is one of the most common chronic inflammatory skin diseases, found in about 1-3% of the general population. Pruritus affects about 60-90% of patients with psoriasis. The aim of this review was to summarize current knowledge about the pathogenesis and treatment of this symptom in psoriasis patients. ⋯ Neurogenic inflammation seems to be important for itchiness in psoriasis. Treatment of pruritus in patients with psoriasis should be directed towards the resolution of skin lesions, as disease remission usually is linked with pruritus relief.
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This study was conducted to determine whether glutamate-evoked jaw muscle pain is modulated by the acidity and temperature of the solution injected. ⋯ Acidity and temperature modulate glutamate-evoked jaw muscle pain suggesting an interaction between acid sensing and glutamate receptors which could be of importance for understanding clinical muscle pain conditions.