Articles: neuralgia.
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Histamine H3 receptors are mainly expressed on CNS neurons, particularly along the nociceptive pathways. The potential involvement of these receptors in pain processing has been suggested using H3 receptor inverse agonists. ⋯ S 38093, a new H3 antagonist/inverse agonist, displays antiallodynic and antihyperalgesic effect in neuropathic pain, especially in oxaliplatin-induced neuropathy after chronic administration. This effect of S 38093 in neuropathic pain could be partly mediated by α2 receptors desensitization in the locus coeruleus.
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Orofacial myofascial pain is prevalent and most often results from entrapment of branches of the trigeminal nerves. It is challenging to inject branches of the trigeminal nerve, a large portion of which are shielded by the facial bones. ⋯ Most importantly, ultrasound guidance significantly reduces the risk of collateral injury to vital neurovascular structures. In this review, we aimed to summarize the regional anatomy and ultrasound-guided injection techniques for the trigeminal nerve and its branches, including the supraorbital, infraorbital, mental, auriculotemporal, maxillary, and mandibular nerves.
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Neuroma formation after peripheral nerve transection leads to severe neuropathic pain in amputees. Previous studies suggested that physical exercise could bring beneficial effect on alleviating neuropathic pain. However, the effect of exercise on neuroma pain still remained unclear. In addition, long-term exercise can affect the expression of neurotrophins (NT), such as nerve growth factor (NGF) and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), which play key roles in nociceptor sensitization and nerve sprouting after nerve injury. Here, we investigated whether long-term swimming exercise could relieve neuroma pain by modulating NT expression. ⋯ Swimming exercise not only inhibits neuroma formation induced by nerve transection but also relieves pain behavior. These effects might be associated with the modulation of NT.
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The occurrence of debilitating chronic persistent (24/7) headache after mild traumatic brain injury represents a central neuropathic pain state. Previous studies suggest that this chronic headache state can be attributed to altered supraspinal modulatory functional connectivity in both resting and evoked pain states. Abnormalities in the myelin sheaths along the supraspinal superior longitudinal fasciculus and anterior thalamic radiation are frequently associated with alteration in pain modulation related to functional connectivity deficit with the prefrontal cortex. This study assessed the correlated axonal injury-related white matter tract abnormality underlying these previously observed prefrontal functional connectivity deficits by comparing the fractional anisotropy, axial diffusivity, and radial diffusivity of brain white matter in patients with mild traumatic brain injury-related headache to healthy controls. ⋯ The identified white matter tract abnormalities may represent a state of Wallerian degeneration which correlates with the functional connectivity deficit in pain modulation and can contribute to the development of the chronic persistent headache in the patients with mild traumatic brain injury.
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There is a scarcity of drugs to either prevent or properly manage chemotherapy-induced neuropathic pain (CINP). Cannabis or cannabinoids have been reported to improve pain measures in patients with neuropathic pain. For this review, a search was done in PubMed for papers that examined the expression of and/or evaluated the use of cannabinoids or drugs that prevent or treat established CINP in a CB receptor-dependent manner in animal models. ⋯ The studies analysed suggest that targeting the endocannabinoid system for prevention and treatment of CINP is a plausible therapeutic option. Almost 90% of the studies on animal models of CINP analysed utilised male rodents. Taking into consideration clinical and experimental findings that show gender differences in the mechanisms involved in pain including CINP and in response to analgesics, it is imperative that future studies on CINP utilise more female models.