European journal of pain : EJP
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Continuous brachial plexus blockade in combination with the NMDA receptor antagonist memantine prevents phantom pain in acute traumatic upper limb amputees.
Hyperexcitability of N-methyl-d-aspartate acid (NMDA) receptors may play an important role in the development of phantom limb pain (PLP). ⋯ We conclude that memantine can reduce intensity of phantom limb pain and might also prevent the development of PLP. However, despite the very early begin of treatment; no long-term effect on established PLP was evident.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study
Comparison of pulsed radiofrequency with conventional radiofrequency in the treatment of idiopathic trigeminal neuralgia.
The aim of this prospective, randomized, double-blinded study was to evaluate the effect of pulsed radiofrequency (PRF) in comparison with conventional radiofrequency (CRF) in the treatment of idiopathic trigeminal neuralgia. A total of 40 patients with idiopathic trigeminal neuralgia were included. The 20 patients in each group were randomly assigned to one of the two treatment groups. ⋯ At the end of 3 months, we decided to perform CRF in Group 2, because all patients in this group still had intractable pain. After the CRF treatment, the median VAS score decreased (p<0.001) and PSS improved (p<0.001) significantly. In conclusion, the results of our study demonstrate that unlike CRF, PRF is not an effective method of pain treatment for idiopathic trigeminal neuralgia.