Articles: analgesia.
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Spinal cord stimulation (SCS) is an effective modality for pain treatment, yet its underlying mechanisms remain elusive. Neurokinin 1 receptor-positive (NK1R+) neurons in spinal lamina I play a pivotal role in pain transmission. To enhance our mechanistic understanding of SCS-induced analgesia, we investigated how different SCS paradigms modulate the activation of NK1R+ neurons, by developing NK1R-Cre;GCaMP6s transgenic mice and using in vivo calcium imaging of superficial NK1R+ neurons under anesthesia (1.5% isoflurane). ⋯ However, at low intensity (20% MoT), the 30-minute 900-Hz SCS only induced persistent neuronal inhibition in naïve mice, but not in SNI-t mice. In conclusion, both 10-minute high-intensity SCS and 30-minute SCS at moderate intensity inhibit the activation of superficial NK1R+ neurons, potentially attenuating spinal nociceptive transmission. Furthermore, in vivo calcium imaging of NK1R+ neurons provides a new approach for exploring the spinal neuronal mechanisms of pain inhibition by neuromodulation pain therapies.
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Reg Anesth Pain Med · Aug 2024
Randomized Controlled TrialAnterior quadratus lumborum block for analgesia after living-donor renal transplantation: a double-blinded randomized controlled trial.
Limited non-opioid analgesic options are available for managing postoperative pain after renal transplantation. We aimed to investigate whether the unilateral anterior quadratus lumborum (QL) block would reduce postoperative opioid consumption after living-donor renal transplantation in the context of multimodal analgesia. ⋯ The anterior QL block did not reduce opioid consumption in patients receiving multimodal analgesia after living-donor renal transplantation. Our findings do not support the routine administration of the anterior QL block in this surgical population.
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Reg Anesth Pain Med · Aug 2024
Peripheral nerve stimulation (PNS) of the phrenic nerve for intractable hiccups: a novel use case report.
Intractable hiccups, defined as those persisting for over 1 month, represent a rare but significant clinical challenge often associated with substantial morbidity and refractory to standard treatments. ⋯ This novel application of phrenic nerve PNS highlights its potential as a therapeutic strategy for intractable hiccups, underscoring their pathophysiologic involvement of the diaphragm and respiratory muscles. The findings suggest that phrenic nerve PNS could offer a viable treatment option for patients unresponsive to conventional therapies, warranting further research to establish its long-term efficacy and safety.
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Reg Anesth Pain Med · Aug 2024
Non-inferiority study assessing the utility of postcervical and lumbar radiofrequency ablation steroid use.
Many physicians administer steroids after radiofrequency ablation (RFA) to mitigate postprocedural inflammation and decrease postprocedural pain. However, robust evidence supporting the benefits of steroids after RFA is lacking and steroids have risks. ⋯ This study suggests that the addition of steroids to the RFA procedure does not provide added benefits and is therefore not worth the additional risks that they pose.