The journal of pain : official journal of the American Pain Society
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The lateral parabrachial nucleus (LPBN) plays an important role in the processing and establishment of pain aversion. It receives direct input from the superficial dorsal horn and forms reciprocal connections with the periaqueductal grey matter (PAG), which is critical for adaptive behaviour and the modulation of pain processing. Here, using in situ hybridization and optogenetics combined with in vitro electrophysiology, we characterized the spinal- and PAG-LPBN circuits of rats. ⋯ These findings may support the efforts to develop pinpointed therapies for pain patients. PERSPECTIVE: The LPBN is an important brain region for the control of pain aversion versus recuperation, and as such constitutes a promising target for developing new strategies for pain management. We show that clinically-relevant drugs have complex and pathway-specific effects on LPBN processing of putative nociceptive and aversive inputs.
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Increasing evidence suggests that migraine may be the result of an impaired brain glucose metabolism. Several studies have reported brain mitochondrial dysfunction, impaired brain glucose metabolism and gray matter volume reduction in specific brain areas of migraineurs. Furthermore, peripheral insulin resistance, a condition demonstrated in several studies, may extend to the brain, leading to brain insulin resistance. ⋯ Lastly, insulin resistance may link migraine with its comorbidities, like obesity, depression, cognitive impairment and cerebrovascular diseases. PERSPECTIVE: Although additional experimental studies are needed to support this novel "neuroenergetic" hypothesis, brain insulin resistance in migraineurs may unravel the pathophysiological mechanisms of the disease, explaining the migraine chronification and connecting migraine with comorbidities. Therefore, this hypothesis could elucidate novel potential approaches for migraine treatment.
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Effectiveness in academic and clinical communication depends upon agreement on what words and concepts denote and on the consequent ability to argue logically and accurately. In the pain medicine literature there are many examples of imprecision and confusion in this respect, including misnomers and fallacies in reasoning. This article firstly critically examines some of these misnomers. ⋯ PERSPECTIVE: This article examines a number of words and constructs commonly found in the pain literature from the perspective of accuracy in terms of their consistency of usage, concordance with fact, degree of speculation and logical argument. A common major theme is the error of considering pain as a "thing" that has agentive properties. A need to clarify much of the language used in Pain Medicine is identified.
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This secondary analysis examined relationships between pain severity and interference and substance use among patients filling opioid prescriptions in Indiana and Ohio community pharmacies (n = 1,461). We likewise sought to explore the moderating role of gender in pain-substance use relations. We used patient-reported data from a cross-sectional health survey linked with controlled substance dispensing data from statewide prescription drug monitoring programs. ⋯ The study was registered in the database of clinicaltrials.gov (register number NCT03936985). Perspective: This study suggests that pain severity and interference are associated with increased use of non-medical prescription opioids, sedatives, and tobacco and decreased use of alcohol, in ways that are different between women and men. Findings may guide the development of gender-sensitive evidence-based strategies to ameliorate or prevent substance misuse among patients living with pain.
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Review Meta Analysis
Systematic review and meta-analysis of predictors of return to work after spinal surgery for chronic low back and leg pain.
Spinal surgeries to treat chronic low back pain (CLBP) have variable success rates, and despite the significant personal and socioeconomic implications, we lack consensus for prognostic factors. This systematic review and meta-analysis evaluated the evidence for preoperative predictors of return to work (RTW) after spinal surgery for CLBP. We searched electronic databases and references (January 1984 to March 2021), screened 2,622 unique citations, and included 8 reports (5 low and 3 high risk-of-bias) which involved adults with ≥3 months duration of CLBP with/without leg pain undergoing first elective lumbar surgery with RTW assessed ≥3 months later. ⋯ In conclusion, RTW after spinal surgery for CLBP likely depends on sociodemographic and affective psychological factors, and potentially also on symptom duration and opioid use. PERSPECTIVE: This systematic review and meta-analysis synthesizes and evaluates existing evidence for preoperative predictors of return to work after spinal surgery for chronic low back pain. Demonstrated associations between return to work and sociodemographic, health-related, and psychological factors can inform clinical decision-making and guide further research.