European journal of pain : EJP
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There is emerging evidence that primary dysmenorrhoea (PDM) is associated with altered brain function and structure. However, few studies have investigated changes in regional cortical thickness and subcortical volumes in PDM patients. The purpose of this study was to characterize differences in both cortical thickness and subcortical volumes between PDM patients and healthy controls (HCs). ⋯ These findings provide further evidence for grey matter changes in patients with PDM, and in addition, the results support relationships between the structural abnormalities and their role in symptom production. All these results are likely to be potential valuable to provide us with direct information about the neural basis of PDM.
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In recent years, children's hospitals have increasingly implemented postoperative pain management protocols to reduce postoperative pain and improve patient satisfaction. The effectiveness and long-term sustainability of such protocols have rarely been studied. Therefore, we conducted a prospective intervention study to assess the impact of regular training and improvement of clinical processes on the quality of postoperative pain management. ⋯ Repeated training and improvement of clinical processes can significantly improve the long-term quality of postoperative pain management in children with a tolerable amount of effort on the part of health care professionals and institutions.
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Temporomandibular pain and jaw dysfunction can have a negative effect on daily life, but these conditions are not well recognized in the health care systems. The general aim was to examine the cross-sectional prevalence of frequent temporomandibular pain and jaw dysfunction in men and women across the lifespan. ⋯ The study shows that the cross-sectional prevalence of temporomandibular pain and jaw dysfunction varies during the lifespan. For men and women, respectively, symptoms increase during adolescence, peak in middle age and then gradually diminish. The prevalence of these symptoms is significantly higher among women except from the first and last decades of a 100-year lifespan.
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Chronic non-specific musculoskeletal pain is a common problem among adolescents. This study investigates the importance of future goals and goal frustration for adolescents and young adults with chronic musculoskeletal pain compared to healthy adolescents. It also explores the impact that pain intensity, pain catastrophizing and depressive symptoms have on goal frustration for adolescents with chronic pain. ⋯ Dealing with chronic pain in adolescence and early adulthood does not seem to change future goals, but is associated with perceiving barriers to achieving them. The level of depressive symptoms seems to influence this relationship. Some caution is required in generalizing the results due to the relatively low number of male participants.
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C fibre hyperexcitability is fundamental to chronic pain development in humans and rodents; therefore, peripheral sensory neuronal sensitization plays a role in the development of mechanical hyperalgesia. However, the axonal properties and underlying mechanisms that are associated to these chronic pain states still require investigation. ⋯ Nerve injury-induced enhanced neural responses to mechanical stimulation are associated to defined parameters setout by conduction velocity slowing, mediated via axonal processing. Application of galanin inhibits axonal excitability.