Pain
-
The nociceptive flexion reflex (NFR) is a physiological, polysynaptic reflex allowing for painful stimuli to activate an appropriate withdrawal response. NFR is easily measurable in clinical setting, and is a reliable and objective tool for measurement of an individual's pain experience. An exhaustive review of the literature, covering multiple search engines, indicates that the NFR method is valuable in studying the impact of diverse pharmacological and non-pharmacological interventions on the flexion reflex, in conditions of acute pain and in healthy volunteers. More recently, the NFR method has gained particular attention as a research tool in studies of central sensitization and persistent or chronic pain.
-
The current paper provides a brief overview of research on the effects of race and ethnicity on pain. More specifically, the article reviews the utility of the concepts of race and ethnicity for pain research, suggests operational definitions of race and ethnicity, reviews the literature on the effects of race and ethnicity on laboratory and clinical pain, and provides suggestions for future research.
-
Review Clinical Trial
Microsurgical DREZotomy for pain due to spinal cord and/or cauda equina injuries: long-term results in a series of 44 patients.
According to the literature estimations, 10-25% of patients with spinal cord and cauda equina injuries eventually develop refractory pain. Due to the fact that most classical neurosurgical methods are considered of little or no efficacy in controlling this type of pain, the authors had recourse to microsurgery in the dorsal root entry zone (DREZ). This article reports on the long-term results of the microsurgical approach to the dorsal root entry zone (DREZotomy) in a series of 44 patients suffering from unbearable neuropathic pain secondary to spine injury. ⋯ There were no perioperative mortalities. Morbidity included cerebrospinal fluid leak (three patients), wound infection (two patients), subcutaneous hematoma (one patient) and bacteremia (in one patient). The above data justify the inclusion of DREZ-lesioning surgery in the neurosurgical armamentarium for treating 'segmental' pain due to spinal cord injuries.