Articles: neuralgia.
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Arthritis Rheumatol · Apr 2019
Central Sensitization in Knee Osteoarthritis: Relating Presurgical Brainstem Neuroimaging and PainDETECT-Based Patient Stratification to Arthroplasty Outcome.
The neural mechanisms of pain in knee osteoarthritis (OA) are not fully understood, and some patients have neuropathic-like pain associated with central sensitization. To address this, we undertook the present study in order to identify central sensitization using neuroimaging and PainDETECT and to relate it to postarthroplasty outcome. ⋯ The psychophysical and neuroimaging data suggest that a subset of OA patients have centrally mediated pain sensitization. This was likely due to supraspinally mediated reductions in inhibition and increases in facilitation of nociceptive signaling, and was associated with a worse outcome following arthroplasty. The neurobiologic confirmation of central sensitization in patients with features of neuropathic pain, identified using PainDETECT, provides further support for the investigation of such bedside measures for patient stratification, to better predict postsurgical outcomes.
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Although the first publications on clinical use of peripheral nerve stimulation for the treatment of chronic pain came out in the mid-1960s, it took 10 years before this approach was used to stimulate the occipital nerves. The future for occipital nerve stimulation is likely to bring new indications, devices, stimulation paradigms, and a decrease in invasiveness. As experience increases, one may expect that occipital nerve stimulation will eventually gain regulatory approval for more indications, most likely for occipital neuralgia, migraines and cluster headaches. This process may require additional studies, at least for approval from the US Food and Drug Administration.
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Neurosurg. Clin. N. Am. · Apr 2019
ReviewEvolving Techniques and Indications in Peripheral Nerve Stimulation for Pain.
Peripheral nerve stimulation is the direct electrical stimulation of named nerves outside the central neuraxis to alleviate pain in the distribution of the targeted peripheral nerve. These treatments have shown efficacy in treating a variety of neuropathic, musculoskeletal, and visceral refractory pain pathologies; although not first line, these therapies are an important part of the treatment repertoire for chronic pain. With careful patient selection and judicious choice of stimulation technique, excellent results can be achieved for a variety of pain etiologies and distributions. This article reviews current and past practices of peripheral nerve stimulation and upcoming advancements in the field.
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Amylin is a calcitonin gene-related peptide family member expressed by nociceptors. Amylin's expression is down-regulated following nerve damage, and studies suggested it affects nociception. We aimed at clarifying amylin's effects on chronic neuropathic pain and investigating its site of action. ⋯ Amylin modulated neuropathic pain by acting at different levels of the nervous system. Whereas supraspinal areas may be involved in amylin's induced pronociception, modulation of spinal cord amylin receptors by endogenous or pharmacological amylin doses triggers both pro- and antinociceptive effects.
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Hypersensitivity and altered sweating are often present in neuropathy patients. Nerve lesions are known to produce sudomotor dysfunctions but also patients suffering from complex regional pain syndrome, CRPS1-a condition without a nerve lesion-present with sweating disorders. ⋯ Sweat output changes in mice after bone trauma, potentially indicative of posttraumatic processes leading to CRPS in humans.