European journal of pain : EJP
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Chronic pain patients with sensitization may exhibit decreased sensitivity to normally pruritogenic sensory stimuli and moreover occasionally perceive these as painful. This study explored the relationship between itch and pain, by evaluating histaminergic and non-histaminergic itch evoked in capsaicin-induced allodynic and hyperalgesic areas. ⋯ This study shows that the neuronal sensitization processes underlying the development secondary hyperalgesia involve significant gating of histaminergic as well as non-histaminergic pruriceptive transmission. Because these itch provocations normally target specific subpopulations of C-nociceptors they could be of relevance for exploratory purposes in pain patients.
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Long-term pain affects brain in response to attention tasks. This study aimed to verify the relationship between performance in a computerized visual attention test (CVAT) and response to duloxetine in fibromyalgia patients. Duloxetine is approved for the treatment but the response is not immediate. ⋯ This study shows that an improvement in an attentional test is a reliable predictor of the treatment response even without any improvement in the perception of pain.
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This study aimed to evaluate age-related changes in laser-evoked potential (LEP) features, including habituation, via trigeminal and hand stimulation in a large group of healthy volunteers. ⋯ Standardization of age-related changes in trigeminal and hand LEPs is possible and should improve their reliability in the objective assessment of pain pathways.