Articles: neuropathic-pain.
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Chronic neuropathic pain is estimated to affect 3-4.5% of the worldwide population, posing a serious burden to society. Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) is already established for movement disorders and also used to treat some "off-label" conditions. However, DBS for the treatment of chronic, drug refractory, neuropathic pain, has shown variable outcomes with few studies performed in the last decade. Thus, this procedure has consensus approval in parts of Europe but not the USA. This study prospectively evaluated the efficacy at three years of DBS for neuropathic pain. ⋯ DBS demonstrated efficacy at three years for chronic neuropathic pain after traumatic amputation and brachial plexus injury, with benefits sustained across all pain outcomes measures and slightly greater improvement in phantom limb pain.
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This analysis compared the therapeutic response of pregabalin in patients with neuropathic pain (NeP) who had been previously treated with gabapentin to the therapeutic response in patients who had not received gabapentin previously. ⋯ The findings presented here support the idea that pregabalin may be used successfully to treat patients with NeP who may be refractory, respond inadequately, or are intolerant to gabapentin. These findings highlight the importance of tailoring treatment of NeP based on individual patient response to different treatments, including the trial of multiple agents within the same mechanistic class.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Cyclization of Motor Cortex Stimulation for Neuropathic Pain: A Prospective, Randomized, Blinded Trial.
Programming guidelines for motor cortex stimulation (MCS) in neuropathic pain requires further investigation. After optimizing voltage as a percentage of motor threshold, we evaluated the effect of cyclizing time of stimulation on pain relief for chronic neuropathic pain. ⋯ In this small cohort, cyclization of MCS settings revealed two distinct subgroups: responders and nonresponders. Responders tolerated stimulation in all settings and 50% stimulation (15 min ON/15 min off) was their subjectively preferred setting. Cyclization in responders will prolong battery life and delay the need for INS replacement and may offer improved pain relief. Building from our previous work, we recommend clinicians consider following the Vancouver MCS programming algorithm presented in this manuscript.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Controlled Clinical Trial
Auricular acupuncture for spinal cord injury related neuropathic pain: a pilot controlled clinical trial.
To obtain preliminary data on the effects of an auricular acupuncture protocol, Battlefield Acupuncture (BFA), on self-reported pain intensity in persons with chronic Spinal Cord Injury (SCI) and neuropathic pain. ⋯ This pilot study has provided proof of concept that BFA has clinically meaningful effect on the modulation of SCI neuropathic pain.
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Pain associated with mechanical, chemical, and thermal heat stimulation of the ocular surface is mediated by trigeminal ganglion neurons, while cold thermoreceptors detect wetness and reflexly maintain basal tear production and blinking rate. These neurons project into two regions of the trigeminal brain stem nuclear complex: ViVc, activated by changes in the moisture of the ocular surface and VcC1, mediating sensory-discriminative aspects of ocular pain and reflex blinking. ViVc ocular neurons project to brain regions that control lacrimation and spontaneous blinking and to the sensory thalamus. ⋯ Long-term inflammation and nerve injury alter gene expression of ion channels and receptors at terminals and cell bodies of trigeminal ganglion and brainstem neurons, changing their excitability, connectivity and impulse firing. Perpetuation of molecular, structural and functional disturbances in ocular sensory pathways ultimately leads to dysestesias and neuropathic pain referred to the eye surface. Pain can be assessed with a variety of questionaires while the status of corneal nerves is evaluated with esthesiometry and with in vivo confocal microscopy.