Clinical neurophysiology : official journal of the International Federation of Clinical Neurophysiology
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Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study
A new clinical scale to grade the impairment of median nerve in carpal tunnel syndrome.
In carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) distribution of paresthesias is related to the degree of the nerve impairment. To improve the clinical ability in detecting the damage severity, we have introduced the criteria "distribution of paresthesias" in a previous clinical scale: the historical-objective scale (Hi-Ob). ⋯ The new scale may be useful in routine examination and for scientific purposes.
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Propofol is an emulsion formulation of 2,6 diisopropylphenol developed in 1975. Widely recognized, it offers beneficial effects compared with other sedative drugs. ⋯ Since technological advances over recent years have allowed an ever-increasing number of patients undergoing propofol therapy to be monitored by using continuous digital EEG, it is important to have a complete understanding of the effects of propofol on EEG in diverse clinical scenarios. This paper presents a review of the effects of propofol in electroencephalograms and discusses proconvulsive, anticonvulsive proprieties and the EEG findings in different medical conditions.
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Comparative Study
A search for activation of C nociceptors by sympathetic fibers in complex regional pain syndrome.
Although the term 'reflex sympathetic dystrophy' has been replaced by 'complex regional pain syndrome' (CRPS) type I, there remains a widespread presumption that the sympathetic nervous system is actively involved in mediating chronic neuropathic pain ["sympathetically maintained pain" (SMP)], even in the absence of detectable neuropathophysiology. ⋯ This study shows that sympathetic-nociceptor interactions, if they exist in patients communicating chronic neuropathic pain, must be the exception.
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The aim of the study was to investigate the interaction between glutamate and capsaicin-evoked muscle pain on human jaw motor functions. ⋯ The present findings suggest that peripheral glutamate and capsaicin receptor mechanisms interact to affect some jaw motor as well as sensory (i.e. pain) functions and provide new insights into the complexity of orofacial pain. Management approaches that target the peripheral nervous system and receptor mechanisms may prevent such changes in jaw motor function.
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The nociceptive blink reflex is a trigeminofacial brain-stem reflex which is used in pain research to evaluate the modulation of pain processing. To standardize the analysis of the reflex we investigated which electromyographic parameters show the best correlation with subjective pain ratings and should therefore be used for scoring blink reflex magnitude. Furthermore we investigated which parameters show the highest accuracy and reliability to define the blink reflex threshold. ⋯ The here defined standardized criteria to score blink reflex magnitude and threshold improve the comparability and validity of blink reflex studies.