Rejected

Virtual reality (VR) is an interactive technology that allows customized treatment and may help in delivering effective patient-centered rehabilitation.

Ulcerative colitis is an intestinal inflammatory disease characterized by diarrhea, abdominal pain and purulent stool. Uncontrolled inflammation caused by macrophage hyper-activation is an important cause of ulcerative colitis. Therefore, inhibiting macrophage hyper-activation is an effective way to treat ulcerative colitis. Notch signaling pathway is involved in regulating the immune response of macrophages and promoting inflammation. NF-κB signaling pathway is the "star pathway" involved in inflammation. NLRP3 inflammatory body is involved in the activation of macrophages. Notch, NF-κB and NLRP3 inflammatory bodies constitute the upstream and downstream signal pathways in the existing immune inflammatory diseases. Notch signal pathway can regulate the activation of macrophage via NF-κB/NLRP3 inflammatory body signaling pathway.

Complications associated with upper gastrointestinal (UGI) endoscopy are uncommon, and rarely involve those of cardiovascular nature. We report herein a unique case of spontaneous superior mesenteric artery dissection (SMAD) after UGI pandenoscopy.

Pituitary apoplexy represents one of the most serious, life threatening endocrine emergencies that requires immediate management. Gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist (GnRHa) can induce pituitary apoplexy in those patients who have insidious pituitary adenoma coincidentally.

Gastroscopy and colonoscopy are important and common endoscopic methods for the diagnosis and treatment of gastrointestinal and colorectal diseases. However, endoscopy is usually associated with adverse reactions such as nervousness, nausea, vomiting, choking cough, and pain. Severe discomfort, such as vomiting, coughing, or body movement, may lead to aggravation of a pre-existing condition or even interruption of examination or treatment, especially in some critically ill patients with physiological dysfunction (., cardiovascular or respiratory disease). The optimal methods for inducing analgesia and sedation in endoscopy are areas of ongoing debate; nevertheless, determining an appropriate regimen of sedation and analgesia is important.

Acute chest pain (ACP) is very common among patients presenting to emergency departments. Nevertheless, ACP caused by esophageal foreign body is relatively rarely reported.

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) and chronic pain syndromes represent major health problems in society. These conditions are disabling and strongly associated with low quality of life. Even though CFS and chronic pain are separate conditions, they have strikingly much in common. Both pain and fatigue are important sensations with protective value in an acute situation. It can be life-threatening not to be aware of them. However, as these symptoms become chronic, their protective roles decrease and instead they become health problems. Our understanding of the perception of pain and fatigue has shifted through the years, from a dualistic biomedical point of view to a holistic biopsychosocial understanding. This combined with the increasing evidence of how our brain works in a predictive/anticipatory manner, gives a deeper understanding of why treatments like cognitive behavior therapies and stress relief therapies can help these patients recover to better health.

Background and aims Exercise is commonly used as treatment for chronic pain with positive long-term effects on pain and pain-related disability. In pain-free subjects, hypoalgesia following an acute bout of exercise compared with a control condition has consistently been demonstrated also known as exercise-induced hypoalgesia (EIH). Walking exercise, a low intensity aerobic exercise, is frequently used in clinical practice as an easily applicable intervention for patients with chronic pain. Walking exercise is furthermore recommended as an effective treatment for patients with chronic musculoskeletal pain conditions to alleviate pain and reduce disability, however, the effect of walking on pain sensitivity is currently unknown. The aims of the present study were to investigate (1) the acute effect of walking on pain sensitivity, and (2) the relative (between-subjects) and absolute (within-subject) test-retest reliability of the hypoalgesic response across two sessions separated by 1 week. Methods In this randomised experimental cross-over study including two identical sessions, 35 pain-free subjects performed a standardized 6 min walking test and a duration-matched quiet rest condition in a randomized and counterbalanced order in each session. Before and after both conditions, handheld pressure pain thresholds (PPTs) were assessed at the thigh and shoulder, and pressure pain thresholds (cPPT) and pain tolerance (cPTT) were assessed with computer-controlled cuff algometry at the lower leg. Change in the pain sensitivity measures were analysed with repeated-measures ANOVAs, and test-retest reliability with intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) and agreements in classification of EIH responders/non-responders between the two sessions. Results All subjects completed the walking conditions in both session 1 and session 2. The perceived intensity of walking assessed with rating of perceived exertion (RPE) and walking distance did not differ significantly between session 1 (distance: 632.5 ± 75.2 meters, RPE: 10.9 ± 1.9) and session 2 (distance: 642.1 ± 80.2 meters, RPE: 11.0 ± 2.4) (p > 0.11). Moreover, RPE showed excellent relative reliability with an ICC value of 0.95 [95%CI: 0.90-0.97]. Walking increased pain tolerance (mean difference: 2.6 kPa [95%CI: 0.5-4.9 kPa; p = 0.02]), but not pain thresholds compared with rest in both sessions. Hypoalgesia after walking demonstrated fair to good relative reliability (ICC = 0.61), however the agreement in classification of EIH responders/non-responders (absolute reliability) across sessions was low and not significant (κ = 0.19, p = 0.30). Conclusions Walking consistently increased pain tolerance but not pain thresholds compared with a duration-matched control condition with fair to good relative reliability between sessions. Based on classification of EIH responders/non-responders the absolute reliability between the two sessions was low indicating individual variance in the EIH response. Future studies should investigate the hypoalgesic effect of a walking exercise in a clinical pain population.

Background and aims Gap junction-coupled cells form networks in different organs in the body. These networks can be affected by inflammatory stimuli and become dysregulated. Cell signaling is also changed through connexin-linked gap junctions. This alteration affects the surrounding cells and extracellular matrix in organs. These changes can cause the spread of inflammatory substances, thus affecting other network-linked cells in other organs in the body, which can give rise to systemic inflammation, which in turn can lead to pain that can turn into chronic. Methods This is a review based on literature search and our own research data of inflammatory stimuli that can affect different organs and particularly gap-junction-coupled cells throughout the body. Conclusions A remaining question is which cell type or tissue is first affected by inflammatory stimuli. Can endotoxin exposure through the air, water and body start the process and are mast cells the first target cells that have the capacity to alter the physiological status of gap junction-coupled cells, thereby causing breakdown of different barrier systems? Implications Is it possible to address the right cellular and biochemical parameters and restore inflammatory systems to a normal physiological level by therapeutic strategies?

The interview-based Severity of Dependence Scale (SDS) predicts the outcome of withdrawal therapy in Medication-Overuse Headache (MOH). We aimed to compare the interview-based SDS with a self-administrated written version. Fifty-three MOH patients, 19 chronic headache patients without medication overuse and 25 population controls were recruited from a previous randomized controlled trial. The SDS was scored in a telephone interview by headache experts, further, the participants filled in the SDS as a part of a self-administered questionnaire. The SDS assesses scores dependence through five questions, each scored from 0 to 3. A score of ≥5 is associated with MOH. Mean SDS scores were 2.8 (SD 3.0) vs. 3.1 (SD 2.9), p = 0.12, for the interview vs. the self-reported questionnaire, with a correlation 0.78. There was a non-significant bias of 0.32 (95% limits of agreement of -3.6; 4.2) between the two methods in the Bland-Altman analysis. A self-reported SDS questionnaire can be used, and may yield valuable information as a screening tool prior to headache consultations or studies. The possibilities of designing web-based self-treatment tools based on SDS self-assessment and brief intervention may be a future approach for a large group of patients.