Articles: neuropathic-pain.
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Clinical therapeutics · May 2015
Meta AnalysisExamining the Time to Therapeutic Effect of Pregabalin in Spinal Cord Injury Patients With Neuropathic Pain.
In 2 large-scale, placebo-controlled trials, pregabalin improved both pain and pain-related sleep interference in patients with neuropathic pain due to spinal cord injury (SCI). In both trials, pregabalin found statistically significant improvement compared with placebo after 1 week of treatment. However, the effects of pregabalin in the days immediately after initiation of treatment are unknown. The purpose of the present analysis was to determine timing of pregabalin's therapeutic effect in the days after initiation of treatment. ⋯ Treatment with pregabalin results in rapid time to significant improvement in both pain and pain-related sleep interference in patients with neuropathic pain due to SCI. These findings should only be used as a guide to physicians and patients as to when clinical response to pregabalin may be expected.
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Brain research bulletin · May 2015
CB1 receptors modulate affective behaviour induced by neuropathic pain.
Patients suffering from chronic pain are often diagnosed with a psychiatric condition, in particular generalized anxiety and major depression. The underlying pathomechanisms contributing to this comorbidity, however, are not entirely clear. In this manuscript we have focussed on the potential role of the cannabinoid receptor CB1, because it is known to modulate neuronal circuits contributing to chronic pain states and affective behaviours. ⋯ Our results show that the development of mechanical hypersensitivity was similar in CB1 deficient mice and wild type controls. However, CB1 knockouts showed much more pronounced behavioural manifestations of anxiety-related behaviours in the light-dark and zero-maze tests, sucrose anhedonia, and disturbed home-cage activity. These results indicate that the endocannabinoid system affects chronic pain-induced mood changes through CB1 receptors.
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Evidence of nonopioid analgesic effectiveness exceeds that for long-term opioids in chronic noncancer pain (CNCP), most with lower risk. Non-drug therapies such as cognitive behavioral therapy and physical activation are safer and also effective. ⋯ Antidepressants with noradrenergic activity (such as tricyclics and seroton-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors) and neuromodulating anticonvulsant drugs (gabapentinoids and sodium-channel blockers) are proven to be effective for neuropathic and centralized pain. Ketamine and cannabinoids are other studied analgesics but have a less well-proven role in CNCP.
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Acta Neurol. Scand. · May 2015
Clinical TrialReliability and accuracy of quantitative sensory testing for oxaliplatin-induced neurotoxicity.
Thermal quantitative sensory testing (QST) is a non-invasive procedure helpful in the assessment of the function of small Aδ and C nerve sensory fibres. Oxaliplatin (OXA) is an effective chemotherapeutic agent, but is frequently associated with neurotoxic dose-limiting side effects. This controlled clinical trial evaluated the reliability and accuracy of thermal QST for assessing the OXA-induced acute neuropathic syndrome, whose clinical hallmark is cold-triggered painful paraesthesia. ⋯ The procedure was reliable and accurate to evaluate cold hyperalgesia resulting from OXA administration. The data provided may be used to define efficacy endpoints for future clinical trials of therapies for OXA-induced neuropathies and calculate appropriate sample sizes.
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Case Reports
Application of the capsaicin 8% cutaneous patch in neuropathic pain of the head and face: A case series.
Treatment of neuropathic or neuralgic head and facial pain due to dental, traumatic or surgical nerve lesions or post-herpetic neuropathy is often challenging. ⋯ Treatment with the capsaicin 8% patch seems to be effective and safe for application to the facial and head region. The capsaicin 8% patch might be an additional treatment option if first-line treatment with anticonvulsants or antidepressants was ineffective or limited by side effects.