European journal of pain : EJP
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Hind paw injection of complete Freund's adjuvant (CFA) is a commonly used sub-acute inflammatory pain model in rodents with typical subjective endpoint measurements of paw withdrawal to thermal or mechanical stimuli. ⋯ The results presented here demonstrate that CRANE provides an objective assessment of pain behaviours for sub-acute inflammatory pain in rats. The pharmacological profile of standard analgesics supports that CRANE model may potentially be used to identify novel analgesic agents for the treatment of sub-acute inflammatory pain.
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Reproductive hormones are implicated in moderating pain. Animal studies support both pronociceptive and antinociceptive actions of oestradiol and progesterone suggesting that the net effect of these hormones on pain is complex and likely depends on the interaction between hormones and the extent of fluctuation rather than absolute hormone levels. Several clinical pain conditions show variation in symptom severity across the menstrual cycle. ⋯ Although recent studies investigating pain-related brain activation have shown differential activation patterns across the menstrual cycle in regions involved with cognitive and motor function, even in the absence of a behavioural pain response, suggesting that cognitive pain and bodily awareness systems are sensitive to menstrual cycle phase. The interaction between the gonadal hormones and pain perception is intricate and not entirely understood. We suggest further investigations on the association between female reproductive hormones and pain sensitivity by exploring the interaction between clinical and experimental pain and the hormone changes that characterize puberty, post-partum and the menopause transition.
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Chemotherapeutic agents, such as cisplatin, are known to induce a persistent polyneuropathy. The mechanisms underlying the development of this pain are complex, and have only been investigated rodent models using male animals, despite an equivalent presentation of neuropathy between the sexes, clinically. ⋯ It is important to continue examining both sexes in various pain models, as a mononeuropathy and polyneuropathy show sex differences in pain development and the role of TLR signalling.
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The present study aimed to identify predicting factors affecting experimental pain stimuli reduction by using 'EyeToy', which is an Immersive Virtual Reality System (IVRS). ⋯ It can be concluded that VR can serve as an effective manipulation for pain reduction in individuals with efficient CPM and in women. These findings constitute a promising platform for future research and hold potential for the improvement and facilitation of clinical treatment.
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Cuff algometry is used for quantitative pain assessment although it is not clarified which tissues are actually challenged by the stimulation. This study investigated the mechanical stress and strain distribution in superficial and deep tissues during cuff algometry applied on the lower leg at three different intensities (mild pressure, pain threshold and supra pain threshold). ⋯ This study shows the better capability of cuff algometry for stimulation of deep somatic tissue in terms of generation of mechanical stress and strain in contrast to the more superficial muscle tissue previously demonstrated to be strained by single-point pressure algometry.