The Clinical journal of pain
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Modification of experimental, lower limb ischemic pain with transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation.
Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) has been shown to be effective for the reduction of experimentally induced ischemic pain in the upper limb. No studies have been published on the effects of TENS for lower limb ischemic pain. ⋯ HF-TENS had stronger modifying effects on several aspects of laboratory-induced ischemic pain than did P-TENS. HF-TENS delayed the onset of pain, reduced pain levels, and delayed the onset of extreme pain over a period of several minutes.
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Functional reorganization in the somatosensory network after peripheral nerve lesions has been suspected to modify the clinical expression of symptoms. However, no conclusive evidence exists to support this notion. We addressed this question by investigating the topographic distribution of the subjective sensory report in various chronic human mononeuropathies. ⋯ In human neuropathies, the projected sensory symptoms are restricted to the innervation territories of the affected nerves, with no extraterritorial spread. Thus, the somatosensory localization function remains accurate, despite the central reorganization that presumably occurs after nerve injury. We conclude that reorganization of the sensory connections within the central nervous system after peripheral nerve injury in humans is a clinically silent adaptive phenomenon.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
The pain quality response profile of pregabalin in the treatment of neuropathic pain.
To identify and describe the response profile of pregabalin on the qualities of pain associated with peripheral neuropathy. ⋯ Pregabalin had a greater effect on PQAS-assessed paroxysmal pain than on surface or deep pain in patients with peripheral neuropathy. The findings corroborate previous research demonstrating differential effects of analgesic drugs across pain qualities, further emphasizing the need to assess individual pain qualities in addition to overall pain intensity.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Pain coping but not readiness to change is associated with pretreatment pain-related functioning.
The purpose of the present study was to determine if readiness to use adaptive and avoid maladaptive pain-coping skills before initiation of psychosocial treatment for chronic pain was related to reports of present coping, and whether those variables, together or separately, explained variance in pain, pain interference, and symptoms of depression. ⋯ Overall, the results indicate that adaptive coping is associated with better pain-related functioning and maladaptive coping is associated with poorer functioning, whereas readiness appears to not play a significant role in patient functioning before psychosocial pain treatment. The findings support the discriminant validity of the coping and readiness measures and inform treatment conceptualization.
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Previous research suggests that children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are at a higher risk for painful experiences, but there is limited research examining pain in children with ASD. ⋯ This is the first study to successfully obtain self-report of pain from youth with ASD. Implications for the understanding of pain and pain assessment in high-functioning youth with ASD are discussed.