Browse by Audience
Cluster headache is a rare form of headache associated with sleep and even speculated to be a manifestation of a sleep disorder rather than a primary headache. Cluster headache exhibits both circadian and circannual rhythmicity. While attacks often occur during sleep, the implication that cluster headaches might be involved with rapid eye movement (REM) sleep phases has neither been fully established nor refuted. The regulatory mechanisms governing sleep including hypothalamic activity and the autonomic nervous system response may play a role. Hypothalamic activation has been observed in cluster headache patients during positron emission tomography testing, but only during attacks. While sleep apnea is associated with morning headaches in general, the link between sleep-disordered respiration and cluster headache remains elusive. Hypoarousal during sleep and periods of hypoxia are associated with cluster headache, the latter likely involving inflammatory processes rather than apnea. Further study is needed, as cluster headaches represent a serious primary cephalgia that is incompletely understood.
Learn More >The Pain Catastrophizing Scale (PCS) is a widely used self-report tool to evaluate pain related catastrophizing. The PCS was developed using classical test theory and has been shown to be psychometrically sound among various populations. However, it's current three subscales are rarely used in clinical practice, offering potential for an abbreviated version that reduces administrative burden and can be used to estimate full scale scores, yet is not bound by the inclusion of items from each subscale. Hence, the aim of the current study was to develop a unidimensional abbreviated version of the PCS through findings from qualitative, classical test theory, and newer Rasch analysis.
Learn More >The goal of this study was to examine the associations among posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), traumatic brain injury (TBI), sleep quality, pain interference, and quality of life in combat veterans.
Learn More >A growing body of literature shows that justice-related appraisals are significant determinants of pain-related outcomes and prolonged trajectories of recovery. We conducted a systematic review of the literature assessing the relationship between perceived injustice and pain-related outcomes in individuals with musculoskeletal pain.
Learn More >Pain is considered a hardwired signal of bodily disturbance belonging to a basic motivational system that urges the individual to act and to restore the body's integrity, rather than just a sensory and emotional experience. Given its eminent survival value, pain is a strong motivator for learning. Response to repeated pain increases when harm risks are high (sensitization) and decreases in the absence of such risks (habituation). Discovering relations between pain and other events provides the possibility to predict (Pavlovian conditioning) and control (operant conditioning) harmful events. Avoidance is adaptive in the short term but paradoxically may have detrimental long-term effects. Pain and pain-related responses compete with other demands in the environment. Exposure-based treatments share the aim of facilitating or restoring the pursuit of individual valued life goals in the face of persistent pain, and further improvements in pain treatment may require a paradigm shift toward more personalized approaches. Expected final online publication date for the , Volume 16 is May 7, 2020. Please see http://www.annualreviews.org/page/journal/pubdates for revised estimates.
Learn More >To evaluate the effectiveness of yoga as an adjuvant to conventional medical management on clinical outcomes in patients with migraine.
Learn More >To determine the perceived benefits of in older adults with chronic low-back pain (cLBP). A qualitative analysis from a randomized controlled feasibility trial. Eighteen participants (65+ years old) with cLBP of at least moderate intensity. A 36-week intervention beginning with twice weekly classes for 12 weeks, weekly classes for 6 weeks, biweekly classes for 6 weeks, and monthly classes for 12 weeks. Participants were asked to practice at home on nonclass days and videos were provided to assist in that process. Participants in the focus groups were asked to provide feedback on their experiences with the study as well as the benefits of their practice. We used demographic and class attendance data to describe the sample. Regarding the benefits of practice, five major themes were identified: functional benefits, pain reduction/pain relief, psychospiritual benefits, the importance of social support in learning , and the integration of into daily activities. The most common functional benefits were improvements in balance, flexibility, leg strength, and posture. Some reported pain reduction or pain relief, but others did not. Increased relaxation, mindfulness, and a sense of connectedness were subthemes that emerged from psychospiritual benefits. Social support benefits included motivation to attend class and group support while learning a new skill. Finally, improved body awareness allowed participants to integrate skills into their daily activities. This qualitative analysis demonstrates the multifaceted benefits of for older adults living with cLBP.
Learn More >Background: Patients with chronic pain often have limited access to comprehensive care that includes behavioral pain management strategies. Virtual reality (VR) is an immersive technology and emerging digital behavioral pain therapeutic with analgesic efficacy for acute pain. We found no scientific literature on skills-based VR behavioral programs for chronic pain populations.
Learn More >Recently the voltage-gated sodium (Nav) channels began to be studied as possible targets for analgesic drugs. In addition, specific Nav 1.8 blockers are currently being used to treat some types of chronic pain pathologies such as neuropathies and fibromyalgia. Nav 1.8 fibers convey nociceptive information to brain structures belonging to the limbic system, which is involved in the pathophysiology of major depressive disorders. From this, using a model of chronic social defeat stress (SDS) and intrathecal injections of Nav 1.8 antisense, this study investigated the possible involvement of Nav 1.8 nociceptive fibers in SDS- induced hyperalgesia in C57/BL mice. Our results showed that SDS induced a depressive-like behavior of social avoidance and increased the sensitivity to mechanical (electronic von Frey test) and chemical (capsaicin test) nociceptive stimuli. We also showed that intrathecal injection of Nav 1.8 antisense reversed the SDS-induced hyperalgesia as demonstrated by both, mechanical and chemical nociceptive tests. We confirmed the antisense efficacy and specificity in a separate no-defeated cohort through real-time PCR, which showed a significant reduction of Nav 1.8 mRNA and no reduction of Nav 1.7 and Nav 1.9 in the L4, L5 and L6 dorsal root ganglia (DRG). The present study advances the understanding of SDS-induced hyperalgesia, which seems to be dependent on Nav 1.8 nociceptive fibers.
Learn More >Objectives The link between social support and physical activity has primarily been examined cross-sectionally, with a focus on the direct association between the two variables. In a distinct body of work, there has been growing interest in the role of social support in reducing pain (emotional and physical). We examined the relationship between social support and physical activity over time. We further examined whether reduced pain mediates the relationship between social support and physical activity. Design Data were drawn from Waves 15, 16, and 17 of the Household Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia survey. Methods Mediation models were used to test our hypotheses in (a) a representative sample of 12,517 people residing in Australia, and (b) a subsample of 927 people with a condition that causes chronic or recurring pain. Results Social support was a weak predictor of subsequent physical activity in both the full sample and the subsample of people with a condition that causes chronic or recurring pain. However, in both samples, mediation analyses demonstrated a significant indirect effect of social support on physical activity through reduced pain. Conclusions One pathway through which social support impacts physical activity is by reducing peoples' pain. Increasing and strengthening peoples' social support networks may confer benefits for their physical activity levels, including among those whose physical activity is limited by pain. Statement of contribution What is already known on this subject? Social support can have a positive effect on health behaviours, including physical activity. There is somewhat inconsistent evidence for a positive direct relationship between social support and physical activity. Pain can be a barrier to physical activity, but may be attenuated by social support. What does this study add? Social support affected physical activity indirectly by reducing peoples' pain. This was true for both the general population and a subsample with a chronic pain condition. Improving peoples' social support networks may confer benefits for their physical activity.
Learn More >