European journal of pain : EJP
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Pain and depressive symptoms often co-occur, but the influence of pain intensity remains unclear. This study analyses the association between pain intensity and depressive symptoms in the general adult German population. ⋯ Our study found a clear association between higher pain intensity and depressive symptoms in the general population across all types of pain. Further, being underweight was linked to depressive symptoms overall and the highest prevalence of depressive symptoms was found in underweight persons with severe pain. These findings highlight the importance of assessing depressive symptoms in patients with higher pain intensity, especially in underweight patients.
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Despite functional connectivity network dysfunction among individuals with headaches, no studies have examined functional connectivity neural correlates and anatomical differences in coping with headaches. ⋯ This study highlights the potential use of emerging behavioural biomarkers in headache management, such as pain acceptance, and their role in modifying the headache experience. Notably, grey matter reorganization in the cerebellum and other known brain pain networks, could indicate brain networks that can be modified from targeted behavioural interventions to help decode the nociplastic mechanisms that predominates in headaches.
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Opioid analgesics are commonly used to treat acute and chronic pain following traumatic injury. Psychiatric comorbidity has been reported to be associated with increased pain and persistent opioid use. Our aims were to determine the extent of post-injury opioid use and assess whether pre-injury antidepressant, benzodiazepine, and z-hypnotic drug use is associated with increased post-injury opioid use. ⋯ This large registry-based study adds to the body of knowledge on opioid use beyond in-hospital care in patients having sustained traumatic injury, a field which is scarcely investigated and not yet fully understood. It suggests that both previous drug therapy and the nature of opioid treatment initiation may affect outcome. This will help guide clinicians in selecting the appropriate pain management in this patient group.
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This study assessed the effect of expectation of analgesia on conditioned pain modulation (CPM) in healthy participants stratified into inhibitors and non-inhibitors. ⋯ Several studies have investigated whether cognitive modulation can alter the magnitude of the inhibitory response of conditioned pain modulation (CPM), yet some gaps remain. This study accounted for measurement error to accurately determine changes in CPM influenced by expectation of analgesia.
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Plasma neurofilament light chain (NFL) has been measured as a biomarker of neuronal damage in various neurological disorders. Elevated tau and β-amyloid levels have been found in patients with fibromyalgia (FM). The aim of the present study was to compare plasma neurofilament levels in fibromyalgia patients with normal controls and to investigate the correlation with clinical features and cognitive tests. ⋯ Plasma neurofilament levels are elevated in patients with fibromyalgia, regardless of disease severity and duration. Neurofilament levels are higher in patients with mild working memory impairment and sleep disorders. Subgroups of patients with primary neuronal damage phenomena could be individualized for prospective evaluation with regard to the possible development of cognitive decline and sleep disturbances, which would justify a tailored therapeutic approach.