Articles: neuralgia.
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Preclinical research for neuropathic pain has depended primarily on the use of behavioural nociceptive testing that is sensory-discriminatory-based and reflexive in nature. This can be particularly problematic in spinal cord injury (SCI)-associated neuropathic pain research where hyperreflexia may develop thus confounding interpretation of reflexive responses as pain symptoms. To address this, we have designed an affective-motivational-based Overground System that has interchangeable floors to allow examination of nociceptive behaviours in response to mechanical and cold stimuli prior to and following spinal cord injury. ⋯ We have designed an Overground System that is easy to establish and addresses a major concern in preclinical pain research by providing a cognitive- and motivational-based system for hypersensitivity detection. The affective-motivational-based Overground System allows examination of pain-like behaviours in response to cold (thermal) and rough (mechanical) stimulation prior to and following spinal cord injury. This system provides a more holistic and comprehensive assessment of nociceptive responses following SCI and helps overcome concerns of hyperreflexia confounding-evoked behavioural outcome measures in SCI models. Further, the incorporation of cognitive and motivational components brings preclinical research closer to replicating the clinical experience of a patient's motivation to participate in rewarding lifestyle activities in relation to their pain.
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The endocannabinoid system (ECS) controls a large number of vital functions. Suboptimal tone of the ECS in certain regions of the nervous system may be associated with disorders that are also associated with pain. Pain and inflammation processes can be modulated by the exogenous supply of cannabinoids. ⋯ The "Cannabis-als-Medizin-Gesetz" (cannabis as medicine law) allows the prescription of cannabis preparations under certain conditions. Available data indicate good long-term efficacy and tolerability. However, there is little systematic long-term experience from clinical studies.
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J. Neurol. Neurosurg. Psychiatr. · Oct 2018
Altered cerebral blood flow in the anterior cingulate cortex is associated with neuropathic pain.
To assess the cerebral blood flow (CBF) in patients with diabetic neuropathic pain, and its changes after duloxetine therapy. ⋯ Our results suggest that the development of neuropathic pain is associated with increased activity in the anterior cingulate cortex, and greater baseline activation of this region may predict treatment responsiveness to pharmacological intervention.
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The self-administered Leeds Assessment of Neuropathic Symptoms and Signs (S-LANSS) scale is a tool designed to identify patients with pain with neuropathic features. ⋯ The Spanish-language version of the S-LANSS is valid and reliable for identifying patients with chronic pain with neuropathic features.
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Chemotherapy-induced neuropathic pain is a common dose-limiting side effect of anticancerdrugs but lacks an effective treatment strategy. Scolopendra subspinipes has been used in traditional medicine to treat chronic neuronal diseases. Moreover, pharmacopuncture with S subspinipes (SSP) produces potent analgesia in humans and experimental animals. ⋯ The combination of SSP with a lower dose of clonidine (0.03 mg/kg) produced a comparable analgesic effect without side effects. Collectively, our findings demonstrate that SSP produces an analgesic effect in oxaliplatin-induced pain via neuronal conduction at the acupoint and activation of spinal α2-adrenoceptors. Moreover, acombination of low-dose clonidine with SSP represents a novel and safe therapeutic strategy for chemotherapy-induced chronic pain.