European journal of pain : EJP
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Review Meta Analysis
Human surrogate models of central sensitization: a critical review and practical guide.
As in other fields of medicine, development of new medications for management of neuropathic pain has been difficult since preclinical rodent models do not necessarily translate to the clinics. Aside from ongoing pain with burning or shock-like qualities, neuropathic pain is often characterized by pain hypersensitivity (hyperalgesia and allodynia), most often towards mechanical stimuli, reflecting sensitization of neural transmission. ⋯ Being able to mimic aspects of pathological pain directly in humans has a huge potential to understand pathophysiology and provide animal research with translatable biomarkers for drug development. One group of human surrogate models has proven to have excellent predictive validity: they respond to clinically active medications and do not respond to clinically inactive medications, including some that worked in animals but failed in the clinics. They should therefore inform basic research for new drug development.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Does muscular or mental fatigue have an influence on the nociceptive flexion reflex? a randomized cross-over study in healthy people.
The nociceptive flexion reflex (NFR) is a spinally-mediated withdrawal reflex occurring in response to noxious stimuli and is used as an electrophysiological marker of spinal nociception. Although it is well-documented that the NFR is subject to powerful modulation of several personal factors, the effects of experimentally induced fatigue on the NFR have not yet been examined. Hence, this study aimed to characterize if and how fatigue affects spinal nociception in healthy adults. ⋯ The present study unraveled that low-to-moderate levels experimentally induced localized muscle and mental fatigue did not affect the NFR. These results suggest that descending pain inhibitory processes to dampen spinal nociception are resistant to the effects of localized muscle and mental fatigue. This relative robustness of the NFR may be beneficial in a clinical setting in which the evaluation of spinal nociception that is unaffected by clinical symptoms of fatigue may be useful (e.g. chronic fatigue syndrome, cancer-related fatigue, etc.).
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Visual illusions modulate body perception disturbance and pain in Complex Regional Pain Syndrome: A randomised trial.
Effective treatment of longstanding Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS) is a challenge, as causal mechanisms remain elusive. People with CRPS frequently report distorted subjective perceptions of their affected limb. Evidence of pain reduction when the affected limb is visually altered in size suggests that visual illusions used to target central processing could restore coherence of this disrupted limb representation. We hypothesized that using virtual reality that alters hand image to match the patient's desired hand appearance would improve body perception disturbance and pain. Also, repeated exposure would maintain any therapeutic effect. ⋯ Visual bodily illusions that change the shape and appearance of the painful CRPS hand to that desired by the patient result in a rapid amelioration of pain and body perception disturbance in people with longstanding CRPS. These findings highlight the future potential of this drug-free approach in the treatment of refractory CRPS.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
The efficacy of an educational movie to improve pain and dysfunctional behavior in school children: A randomized controlled trial.
Chronic pain in children is a serious issue, therefore calling for effective prevention/intervention measures. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of an educational movie on pain knowledge in school children in general and on pain-related behaviours and pain intensity in those who are affected by chronic pain. Regarding those affected, the association between pain knowledge and intensity, as well as the potential mediating effect of pain-related behaviours, were investigated. ⋯ A 10-min educational movie on chronic pain management was tested in school children (N = 381). Following the intervention, knowledge of chronic pain concepts was statistically greater in the intervention group compared to the control group not watching the movie. Furthermore, a mediation model theoretically determined whether an association between pain knowledge and pain intensity exists, and whether this is explained by level of dysfunctional pain-related behaviorisms. Full mediation was confirmed.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Subcutaneous tanezumab for osteoarthritis: Is the early improvement in pain and function meaningful and sustained?
To evaluate if early improvements in pain and function with subcutaneous tanezumab are meaningful and sustained over 24 weeks. ⋯ This exploratory analysis of data from a placebo-controlled, Phase 3 study of patients with moderate-to-severe osteoarthritis of the hip or knee for whom standard analgesics were not effective or could not be taken, found that onset of efficacy of subcutaneous tanezumab was within the first week, and efficacy was maintained through the 24-week treatment period. Tanezumab was effective in those patients with the most radiologically severe osteoarthritis.