European journal of pain : EJP
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Mindfulness meditation can alleviate acute and chronic pain. It has been proposed that mindfulness meditation reduces pain by uncoupling sensory and affective pain dimensions. However, studies to date have reported mixed results, possibly due to a diversity of styles of and expertise in mindfulness meditation. Furthermore, the interrelations between mindfulness meditation and pain catastrophizing during acute pain remain little known. ⋯ In this study, we found that a style of mindfulness meditation referred to as OM reduced unpleasantness but not intensity ratings compared to attentional distraction in trained novice (state effect) and expert meditators (state and trait effects). We also observed that trait pain catastrophizing scores predicted this sensory-affective uncoupling. These findings advance our understanding of the cognitive mechanisms underlying mindfulness meditation and can inform treatment strategies for chronic pain.
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This study aimed to establish the somatosensory profile of patients with lumbar radiculopathy at pre-and post-microdiscectomy and to explore any association between pre-surgical quantitative sensory test (QST) parameters and post-surgical clinical outcomes. ⋯ This study documented quantitative sensory testing (QST) profiles in patients with lumbar radiculopathy in their main pain area (MPA) and dermatome pre- and post-microdiscectomy and explored associations between QST parameters and clinical outcome. Lumbar radiculopathy was associated with loss of function in modalities mediated by large and small sensory fibres. Microdiscectomy resulted in significant improvements in loss of function and clinical outcomes in 85% of our cohort. Pre-surgical mechanical detection thresholds in the MPA may be predictive of clinical outcome.
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Review Meta Analysis
Intrathecal Dexmedetomidine and Postoperative Pain: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Randomised Controlled Trials.
A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) was undertaken to evaluate the effect of intrathecal dexmedetomidine (DEX) on the duration of postoperative analgesia, postoperative pain scores and incidences of adverse effects. ⋯ The analgesic role of intrathecal DEX is promising due to its ability to significantly increase postoperative analgesic duration when compared with placebo. Its usage can be considered for patients undergoing surgeries with significant postoperative pain, particularly those intolerant of systemic analgesia. However, the optimal dose for various surgeries as well as its long-term neurological effects warrants further studies.