Pain medicine : the official journal of the American Academy of Pain Medicine
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Recent neuroimaging studies have found that brain function is abnormal in primary dysmenorrhea (PDM). The present study aimed to explore frequency-specific brain alterations and their occurrence in the PDM. ⋯ The present study identified frequency-specific FCD alterations in PDM and suggested that the S2 area is a potential treatment target for PDM.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Specific Electroencephalographic Signatures for Pain and Descending Pain Inhibitory System in Spinal Cord Injury.
The pain related to spinal cord injury (SCI) is difficult to treat, and it is associated with significant morbidity. One aspect to improve therapeutics is to explore markers of pain and its correlates in SCI. ⋯ Our results confirm and provide additional data on the relationship between decreased alpha and beta frequencies and higher pain levels. One important finding, though, was a specific and different EEG signature for the descending inhibitory pain system, as we showed that increased theta EEG power is related to decreased CPM efficiency; suggesting that, although low CPM efficiency plays a major role in pain in these participants, it does seem to be associated with a specific oscillatory brain rhythm different from clinical pain. These findings have significant implications for future research on EEG-based biomarkers of pain in post-SCI and new interventions as neurofeedback to manage pain in this population.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Can Patient Expectations Modulate the Short-Term Effects of Dry Needling on Sensitivity Outcomes in Patients with Mechanical Neck Pain? A Randomised Clinical Trial.
Dry needling is commonly used for the management of patients with musculoskeletal pain. However, the effects of patient expectations are uncertain. Our aim was to determine the effect of patient expectations on short-term clinical outcomes after the application of a single session of dry needling in individuals with neck pain. ⋯ This study did not find a significant effect of predicted patient expectations on the short-term effects of dry needling on pain intensity and pressure pain thresholds in people with mechanical neck pain.
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Recent studies have suggested that neuropathic pain exhibits a daily diurnal pattern, with peak levels usually occurring in the late afternoon to evening and the trough in the morning hours, although literature on this topic has been sparse. This scoping review examines current evidence on the chronobiology of neuropathic pain both in animal models and in humans with neuropathic pain. ⋯ Studies included in this review demonstrated a diurnal variation in the pattern of neuropathic pain that is distinct from the pattern for nociceptive pain. These findings have implications for potential therapeutic strategies for neuropathic pain.