European journal of pain : EJP
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Visual illusions modulate body perception disturbance and pain in Complex Regional Pain Syndrome: A randomised trial.
Effective treatment of longstanding Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS) is a challenge, as causal mechanisms remain elusive. People with CRPS frequently report distorted subjective perceptions of their affected limb. Evidence of pain reduction when the affected limb is visually altered in size suggests that visual illusions used to target central processing could restore coherence of this disrupted limb representation. We hypothesized that using virtual reality that alters hand image to match the patient's desired hand appearance would improve body perception disturbance and pain. Also, repeated exposure would maintain any therapeutic effect. ⋯ Visual bodily illusions that change the shape and appearance of the painful CRPS hand to that desired by the patient result in a rapid amelioration of pain and body perception disturbance in people with longstanding CRPS. These findings highlight the future potential of this drug-free approach in the treatment of refractory CRPS.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Feasibility Randomized-Controlled Trial of Online Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for Painful Peripheral Neuropathy in People Living with HIV: The OPEN Study.
Neuropathic pain negatively affects quality of life among people living with HIV (PLWH). This study examined the feasibility of conducting a full-scale randomized-controlled trial of online acceptance and commitment therapy ("ACT OPEN") for neuropathic pain in PLWH. ⋯ Research on pain management in people living with HIV has primarily focused on pharmacological treatments with limited success. This is the first study to show the potential feasibility of a psychological treatment based on acceptance and commitment therapy delivered online and tailored for pain management in people with HIV ("ACT OPEN"). ACT OPEN may be a promising treatment in this population and further evaluation in a full-scale randomized-controlled trial appears warranted.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Does muscular or mental fatigue have an influence on the nociceptive flexion reflex? a randomized cross-over study in healthy people.
The nociceptive flexion reflex (NFR) is a spinally-mediated withdrawal reflex occurring in response to noxious stimuli and is used as an electrophysiological marker of spinal nociception. Although it is well-documented that the NFR is subject to powerful modulation of several personal factors, the effects of experimentally induced fatigue on the NFR have not yet been examined. Hence, this study aimed to characterize if and how fatigue affects spinal nociception in healthy adults. ⋯ The present study unraveled that low-to-moderate levels experimentally induced localized muscle and mental fatigue did not affect the NFR. These results suggest that descending pain inhibitory processes to dampen spinal nociception are resistant to the effects of localized muscle and mental fatigue. This relative robustness of the NFR may be beneficial in a clinical setting in which the evaluation of spinal nociception that is unaffected by clinical symptoms of fatigue may be useful (e.g. chronic fatigue syndrome, cancer-related fatigue, etc.).
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Randomized Controlled Trial
The efficacy of an educational movie to improve pain and dysfunctional behavior in school children: A randomized controlled trial.
Chronic pain in children is a serious issue, therefore calling for effective prevention/intervention measures. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of an educational movie on pain knowledge in school children in general and on pain-related behaviours and pain intensity in those who are affected by chronic pain. Regarding those affected, the association between pain knowledge and intensity, as well as the potential mediating effect of pain-related behaviours, were investigated. ⋯ A 10-min educational movie on chronic pain management was tested in school children (N = 381). Following the intervention, knowledge of chronic pain concepts was statistically greater in the intervention group compared to the control group not watching the movie. Furthermore, a mediation model theoretically determined whether an association between pain knowledge and pain intensity exists, and whether this is explained by level of dysfunctional pain-related behaviorisms. Full mediation was confirmed.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Effects of multifocal transcranial direct current stimulation targeting the motor network during prolonged experimental pain.
Antinociceptive effects of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) over the primary motor cortex (M1) have been extensively studied in the past years. However, M1 does not work in isolation, but it rather interacts within a network, the so-called resting-state motor network. ⋯ These findings highlight that the stimulation of the resting state motor network with multifocal tDCS may represent a potential cortical target to treat chronic pain, particularly in patients exhibiting maladaptive corticomotor excitability and impaired conditioned pain modulation effects.