Articles: pain-measurement.
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The McGill pain questionnaire (MPQ) and its later derivative the short form-MPQ have been used widely both in experimental and clinical pain studies. They have been of considerable importance in stimulating research into the perception of pain and now, with the publication of its latest variant, the short form-MPQ-2, it is appropriate to appraise their utility in the light of subsequent research into the nature of pain and the purpose of pain assessment. Following a description of the content and development of the questionnaires, issues of validity, reliability, and utility are addressed, not only in terms of the individual pain descriptors and the scales, but also in terms of methods of quantification. ⋯ It is suggested that pain assessment needs to be cast in its social context. We need to understand the influences on pain expression using a socio-communication model of pain that recognizes the function of pain and the importance of both innate pain responses and the effects of social learning. The review concludes with recommendations for future use of the MPQ and identifies a number of research challenges which lie ahead.
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It seems that central neuropathic pain (CNP) is associated with altered abilities to modulate pain; whereas dysfunction in descending pain inhibition is associated with the extent of chronic pain distribution, enhanced pain excitation is associated with the intensity of chronic pain. We investigated the hypothesis that CNP is associated with decreased descending pain inhibition along with increased neuronal excitability and that both traits are associated with spinothalamic tract (STT) damage. Chronic spinal cord injury subjects with CNP (n = 27) and without CNP (n = 23) and healthy controls (n = 20) underwent the measurement of pain adaptation, conditioned pain modulation (CPM), tonic suprathreshold pain (TSP), and spatial summation of pain above injury level. ⋯ Thus, top-down processes may determine the spread of CNP, whereas bottom-up processes may determine CNP intensity. It also seems that the mechanisms of CNP may involve STT-induced hyperexcitability. Future, longitudinal studies may investigate the timeline of this scenario.
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To evaluate long-term clinical and radiographic outcomes after surgical fixation of unstable ankle fractures. ⋯ Therapeutic Level IV. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.
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Observational Study
Prospective clinical observational study evaluating gender-associated differences of preoperative pain intensity.
Previous studies reported conflicting results concerning different pain perceptions of men and women. Recent research found higher pain levels in men after major surgery, contrasted by women after minor procedures. This trial investigates differences in self-reported preoperative pain intensity between genders before surgery. ⋯ This large clinical study observed significantly higher preoperative pain intensity in female surgical patients. This gender difference was larger in the elderly potentially contradicting the current hypothesis of a primary sex-hormone derived effect. The observed variability in specific patient subgroups may help to explain heterogeneous findings of previous studies.
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This study aims to explore the changes in pain intensity and quality of life (QoL) experienced by patients with painful diabetic neuropathy (PDN) treated with spinal cord stimulation (SCS) and conventional medical practice (CMP). ⋯ SCS resulted in significant improvement in pain intensity and QoL in patients with PDN, offering further support for SCS as an effective treatment for patients suffering from PDN. From a methodological point of view, different results would have been obtained if QALY calculations were not adjusted for baseline EQ-5D scores, highlighting the need to account for imbalances in baseline QoL.