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This study aims to investigate the associative and multivariate relationship between different sociodemographic and clinical variables with cortical excitability as indexed by transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) markers in subjects with chronic pain caused by knee osteoarthritis (OA). This was a cross-sectional study. Sociodemographic and clinical data were extracted from 107 knee OA subjects. To identify associated factors, we performed independent univariate and multivariate regression models per TMS markers: motor threshold (MT), motor evoked potential (MEP), short intracortical inhibition (SICI), intracortical facilitation (ICF), and cortical silent period (CSP). In our multivariate models, the two markers of intracortical inhibition, SICI and CSP, had a similar signature. SICI was associated with age (β: 0.01), WOMAC pain (β: 0.023), OA severity (as indexed by Kellgren-Lawrence Classification) (β: – 0.07), and anxiety (β: – 0.015). Similarly, CSP was associated with age (β: – 0.929), OA severity (β: 6.755), and cognition (as indexed by the Montreal Cognitive Assessment) (β: – 2.106). ICF and MT showed distinct signatures from SICI and CSP. ICF was associated with pain measured through the Visual Analogue Scale (β: – 0.094) and WOMAC (β: 0.062), and anxiety (β: – 0.039). Likewise, MT was associated with WOMAC (β: 1.029) and VAS (β: – 2.003) pain scales, anxiety (β: – 0.813), and age (β: – 0.306). These associations showed the fundamental role of intracortical inhibition as a marker of adaptation to chronic pain. Subjects with higher intracortical inhibition (likely subjects with more compensation) are younger, have greater cartilage degeneration (as seen by radiographic severity), and have less pain in WOMAC scale. While it does seem that ICF and MT may indicate a more acute marker of adaptation, such as that higher ICF and MT in the motor cortex is associated with lesser pain and anxiety.
Learn More >To explore feasibility in terms of delivering and evaluating a combination of physiotherapy and psychotherapy for patients with chronic pelvic pain syndrome (CPPS).
Learn More >To assess the validity of a novel ultrasonographic scale for knee osteoarthritis (KOA) and its relation with the degree of pain and clinical features.
Learn More >More than half of children and adolescents have experienced headache within the last 3 months. Several risk factors for headache have been identified, including obesity and lack of sleep. The association between screen time and headache in children and adolescents is sparsely investigated. The aim of this study was to assess this association and evaluate if it varied according to headache diagnosis.
Learn More >Various techniques have been explored to prolong the duration and improve the efficacy of local anaesthetic nerve blocks. Some of these involve mixing local anaesthetics or adding adjuncts. We did a literature review of studies published between 01 May 2011 and 01 May 2021 that studied specific combinations of local anaesthetics and adjuncts. The rationale behind mixing long- and short-acting local anaesthetics to hasten onset and extend duration is flawed on pharmacokinetic principles. Most local anaesthetic adjuncts are not licensed for use in this manner and the consequences of untested admixtures and adjuncts range from making the solution ineffective to potential harm. Pharmaceutical compatibility needs to be established before administration. The compatibility of drugs from the same class cannot be inferred and each admixture requires individual review. Precipitation on mixing (steroids, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) and subsequent embolisation can lead to serious adverse events, although these are rare. The additive itself or its preservative can have neurotoxic (adrenaline, midazolam) and/or chondrotoxic properties (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs). The prolongation of block may occur at the expense of motor block quality (ketamine) or block onset (magnesium). Adverse effects for some adjuncts appear to be dose-dependent and recommendations concerning optimal dosing are lacking. An important confounding factor is whether studies used systemic administration of the adjunct as a control to accurately identify an additional benefit of perineural administration. The challenge of how best to prolong block duration while minimising adverse events remains a topic of interest with further research required.
Learn More >A total of 80% of fibromyalgia (FM) population have reported poor sleep. In this regard, the pineal gland, involved in circadian rhythm processes as a key neuroendocrine organ which mainly synthesises and secretes melatonin, has never been studied before in this population. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the parenchyma pineal volume and its relation to sleep hours, sleep quality index and melatonin level at night. A total of 50 participants, 30 women with FM and 20 healthy control women underwent cranial magnetic resonance imaging. The total pineal volume, cyst pineal volume and parenchyma pineal volume were manually calculated in cubic millimetres. Also, the total pineal volume was estimated using Hasehawa method. Parenchyma pineal volume was significantly correlated with sleep hours (p-value = 0.041) and nocturnal melatonin level (p-value = 0.027). Moreover, there was also a non-significant correlation between parenchyma pineal volume and sleep quality index (p-value = 0.055). Furthermore, a mean parenchyma pineal volume of 102.00 (41.46) mm³ was observed, with a prevalence of 29.60% cyst in FM group. This is the first study that has reported pineal gland volumes, cyst prevalence and correlative relationships between parenchyma pineal volume and sleep hours and melatonin levels in women with FM.
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