European journal of pain : EJP
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This study investigated the characteristics of temperature-related evoked neural activities to baseline skin temperatures on target and adjacent sites using contact heat evoked potentials (CHEPs). ⋯ This study using CHEPs shows the importance of baseline and target skin temperatures to investigate the characteristics of temperature-related neural activities. This measure may contribute to understanding of warm-, hot-, and pain-related neural activities in human brains.
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Given the limited alleviation of chronic pain with pharmacological treatments, various nonpharmacological and self-care approaches are often proposed that require patients' motivation. ⋯ Most chronic pain patients, even those severely affected, appeared to be ready to practise active self-care therapies and we believe that further studies are needed to investigate their impact on pain and quality of life.
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Human genetic research has implicated functional variants of more than one hundred genes in the modulation of persisting pain. Artificial intelligence and machine-learning techniques may combine this knowledge with results of genetic research gathered in any context, which permits the identification of the key biological processes involved in chronic sensitization to pain. ⋯ We show that knowledge discovery in genetic databases and contemporary machine-learned techniques can identify relevant biological processes involved in Persitent pain.
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Mutations in the sodium-channel Nav 1.7, encoded by the gene SCN9A, are known to cause pain disorders. In particular, gain-of-function missense mutations in Nav 1.7 have been shown to be causal in primary erythromelalgia. We present a patient with erythromelalgia, pain attacks and hyperosmia with a mutation within the sodium-channel gene SCN9A. ⋯ Continuous odour exposure stabilised mood and induced a short-term pain relief. This clinical note illustrates the course of middle-age onset erythromelalgia and points to clinical findings related to a likely pathogenic missense mutation affecting the sodium-channel Nav 1.7. SIGNIFICANCE: This case report illustrates the course of middle-age onset erythromelalgia with presumed gain-of-function in olfactory and pain sensation associated with a Nav1.7 channel mutation.