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To evaluate the influence of self-reported physical activity and sleep quality on conditioned pain modulation (CPM) in the orofacial region.
Learn More >Nemolizumab is a subcutaneously administered humanized monoclonal antibody against interleukin-31 receptor A, which is involved in pruritus and inflammation in atopic dermatitis. In phase 2 studies, nemolizumab lessened the severity of atopic dermatitis.
Learn More >Opioids are the most prescribed analgesics for pain in Inflammatory Bowel Diseases (IBD), however the consequences of opioid use on IBD severity is not well defined. This is the first study investigating consequences of hydromorphone in both dextran sodium sulfate (DSS)-induced colitis and spontaneous colitis [IL-10 knockout (IL-10-/-)] mouse model of IBD.
Learn More >Chronic Post Traumatic Headache (PTH) is among the most common and disabling sequelae of traumatic brain injury (TBI). Current PTH treatments are often only partially effective and have problematic side effects. We previously showed in a small randomized trial of patients with chronic non-traumatic headaches that manipulation of dietary fatty acids decreased headache frequency, severity, and pain medication use. Pain reduction was associated with alterations in oxylipins derived from n-3 and n-6 fatty acids, suggesting that oxylipins could potentially mediate clinical pain reduction. The objective of the present study was to investigate whether circulating oxylipins measured in the acute setting following TBI, could serve as prognostic biomarkers for developing chronic PTH. Participants enrolled in the Traumatic Head Injury Neuroimaging Classification Protocol provided serum within 3 days of TBI and were followed up at 90 days post-injury with a neurobehavioral symptom inventory (NSI) and satisfaction with-life-survey (SWLS). Liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry methods profiled 39 oxylipins derived from n-3 docosaheaxaenoic acid (DHA), and n-6 arachidonic acid (AA) and linoleic acid (LA).Statistical analyses assessed the association of oxylipins with headache severity (primary outcome, measured by headache question on NSI) as well as associations between oxylipins and total NSI or SWLS scores. Among oxylipins, 4-hydroxy-DHA and 19,20-epoxy-docosapentaenoate (DHA derivatives) were inversely associated with headache severity, and 11-hydroxy-9-epoxy-octadecenoate (an LA derivative) was positively associated with headache severity. These findings support a potential for DHA-derived oxylipins as prognostic biomarkers for development of chronic PTH.
Learn More >Disrupting memories that associate environmental cues with drug experiences holds promise for treating addiction, yet accessing the distributed neural network that stores such memories is challenging. Here, we show that the paraventricular nucleus of the thalamus (PVT) orchestrates the acquisition and maintenance of opiate-associated memories via projections to the central nucleus of the amygdala (CeA) and nucleus accumbens (NAc). PVT→CeA activity associates morphine reward to the environment, whereas transient inhibition of the PVT→NAc pathway during retrieval causes enduring protection against opiate-primed relapse. Using brain-wide activity mapping, we revealed distributed network activities that are altered in non-relapsing mice, which enabled us to find that activating the downstream NAc→lateral hypothalamus (LH) pathway also prevents relapse. These findings establish the PVT as a key node in the opiate-associated memory network and demonstrate the potential of targeting the PVT→NAc→LH pathway for treating opioid addiction.
Learn More >Chronic pain is one of the most common and challenging symptoms in fibromyalgia (FM). Currently, self-reported pain is the main criterion used by clinicians assessing patients with pain. However, it is subjective, and multiple factors can affect pain levels. In this study, we investigated the neural correlates of FM pain using conditioned pain modulation (CPM), electroencephalography (EEG), and transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS).
Learn More >The contributions of intervertebral disc disease and subject-specific covariates to systemic inflammation in low back pain are unknown. We examined the effects of symptomatic disc herniation (DH) and MRI herniation severity on serum cytokine levels in clinical subjects.
Learn More >Remote electrical neuromodulation (REN) is a novel acute treatment of migraine. Upper arm peripheral nerves are stimulated to induce conditioned pain modulation (CPM)-an endogenous analgesic mechanism in which conditioning stimulation inhibits pain in remote body regions. The REN device (Nerivio, Theranica Bio-Electronics LTD., Israel) is FDA-authorized for acute treatment of migraine in adults who do not have chronic migraine. The current study assessed the consistency of response over multiple migraine attacks in people with chronic migraine who are typically characterized with severe pain intensity, high disability, and less robust response to triptans.
Learn More >Tapentadol is a dual-acting mu-opioid receptor agonist and noradrenaline reuptake inhibitor with non-inferior analgesic efficacy to oxycodone and better gastrointestinal tolerability than full mu-opioid receptor agonists. Tapentadol is approved for cancer pain in Japan; however, real-world evidence on tapentadol's effectiveness and safety for cancer-related pain in Japan is limited.
Learn More >Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) has been used to reduce pain in range of chronic pain states. The aim of this review is to evaluate the effectiveness of tDCS on pain reduction and related disability in patients with non-specific chronic low back pain (CLBP). A computer-based systematic literature search was performed in five databases according to PRISMA guidelines. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that assessed the effects of tDCS on pain and related disability in patients with non-specific CLBP were included. Modified Jadad scale and Cochrane's risk of bias assessment were used to determine the studies' quality and risk of bias. Meta-analyses were performed by calculating the standardized mean difference (SMD) at 95% confidence interval (CI). Nine RCTs (411 participants) were included in the systematic review according to inclusion criteria, while only five studies could be included in the meta-analysis. The primary motor cortex (M1) was the main stimulated target. The meta-analysis showed non-significant effect of multiple sessions of tDCS over M1 on pain reduction and disability post-treatment respectively, (SMD = 0.378; 95% CI = - 0.264-1.020; P = 0.249), (SMD = 0.143; 95% CI = - 0.214-0.499; P = 0.434). No significant adverse events were reported. The current results do not support the clinical use of tDCS for the reduction of pain and related disability in non-specific CLBP. However, the limited number of available evidence limits our conclusions on the effectiveness of these approaches.
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