Funct Neurol
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By stimulating the sural nerve at the retromalleolar level and recording EMG response from biceps femoris muscle two components can be evoked: RII (shorter latency, lower threshold, non-nociceptive) and RIII (longer latency, higher threshold, nociceptive). RIII reflex represents a useful tool for pain research in humans since a close correlation exists between the reflex threshold and that of pain. ⋯ RIII threshold was significantly lowered in children, while the other parameters were similar in both groups. Our data suggest the existence of a reduced inhibitory descending control in nociceptive spinal neurones in children.
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The term "sympathetically maintained pain" does not imply that the pains are due to the sympathetic system. It is not a matter of excessive or decreased sympathetic activity. ⋯ This fact suggests that we are not concerned primarily with abnormal states induced by the sympathetic system, but with a general kind of abnormality of the total nervous system. This phenomenon may be relieved by removal of the sympathetic nerves to the relevant neurons of the periphery.
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The influence of sex and anxiety on experimental pain perception was studied in a homogeneous population of 50 volunteer and healthy dental students. Three threshold (minimum perceptible threshold, pain threshold and pain tolerance threshold) were determined by delivering electrical stimulations, at regular intervals, on the left hand finger pads. ⋯ Statistical analysis of the results showed a lower pain tolerance threshold in females than in males and a significant correlation between the anxiety score and the pain tolerance threshold. The fact that females are more anxious than males could explain these results.
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The heart rate variability is defined as variation in distance between sequential ventricular complexes in the electrocardiogram and can be given in percent by referring the standard deviation to the average values of heart rate. The bivariate distribution of heart rate variability and of heart rate shows a discrimination of the group of comatose patients from brain dead subjects and normals.