Articles: neuropathic-pain.
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Multicenter Study
The Italian experience with octopolar perc-paddle leads.
The aim of this study is to evaluate the efficacy of spinal cord stimulation using octopolar perc-paddle leads (S-Series, St. Jude Medical, St. Paul, MN, USA) introduced percutaneously with St. Jude Medical's Epiducer Lead Delivery System in patients suffering from low back and leg pain. ⋯ The possibility of using a percutaneous paddle lead, reducing the surgical aggressiveness but taking advantage of a different electric field and a better recruitment of the fibers of the lumbar region, has allowed pain therapists to be more effective in the treatment of these patients. The use of this device system suggests that the percutaneous paddle placement is safe and effective.
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The purpose of this study was to examine exercise-induced pain modulation in diabetic adults with painful diabetic neuropathy (PDN) compared to diabetic adults without PDN. Eighteen adults diagnosed with type 2 diabetes with and without PDN (mean age of 49 years) completed 2 sessions. During the familiarization session, participants completed questionnaires, were familiarized with the pain testing protocols, and completed maximal isometric contractions. During the exercise session, experimental pain testing was completed before and following exercise consisting of 3 minutes of isometric exercise performed at 25% maximal voluntary contraction. Ratings of perceived exertion and muscle pain were assessed every 30 seconds during exercise. Results indicated that ratings of perceived exertion and muscle pain during exercise were significantly higher (P < .05) for diabetic adults with PDN versus diabetic adults without PDN. Diabetic adults with PDN did not experience changes in thermal pain ratings following exercise, whereas diabetic adults without PDN reported significantly lower pain ratings following exercise. It is concluded that diabetic adults with PDN experienced high levels of muscle pain during exercise and a lack of exercise-induced hypoalgesia following exercise, in comparison to diabetic adults without PDN, who experienced lower levels of muscle pain during exercise and a hypoalgesic response following exercise. ⋯ Very little research has been conducted examining the impact of exercise on pain modulation in diabetic adults with PDN. This study provides support that adults with PDN exhibit exercise-induced endogenous pain modulatory system dysfunction.
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Review
Improving the translation of analgesic drugs to the clinic: animal models of neuropathic pain.
Neuropathic pain remains an area of considerable unmet clinical need. Research based on preclinical animal models has failed to deliver truly novel treatment options, questioning the predictive value of these models. ⋯ The methodological quality of animal studies also needs to be improved. Low internal validity and incomplete reporting lead to a waste of valuable research resources and animal lives, and ultimately prevent an objective assessment of the true predictivity of in vivo models.
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The aim of our study was translation and assessment of validity and reliability of the Persian version of DN4 questionnaire. The goal was to fill the gap caused by the absence of a validated instrument in Persian to facilitate discrimination of neuropathic pain. In this study, the adaptation and validation of the questionnaire was carried out in 4 steps, including translation, retranslation, semantic, and literal assessments, and a pilot study for practicability and potential perception difficulties of the final Persian version on 45 patient samples. ⋯ Inter-rater agreement and test-retest reliability were significant intraclass coefficient (ICC = 0.957 and ICC = 0.918, respectively). The Persian version of DN4 questionnaire is a reliable, valid, feasible, and easily administered tool for precise discrimination neuropathic pain from NNP in Farsi. The characteristics of this test can assist practitioner to diagnose neuropathic pain accurately for both clinical and research purposes.
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Motor cortex stimulation has been reported as an effective treatment for medically resistant neuropathic pain. The goal of this study is to review the efficacy of this treatment in a series of 14 patients. ⋯ In our cohort of 14 patients with neuropathic pain, motor cortex stimulation failed to produce acceptable long-term benefit. Possible reasons for this failure are discussed in the context of a small retrospective study.