European journal of pain : EJP
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This study analyses the relationships between patients' cognitive appraisals concerning their pain and the coping strategies they use. In addition, the way the coping strategy influences the intensity of perceived pain and impairment in these patients was studied. ⋯ By analysing the cognitive appraisals made by chronic pain patients, clinicians could make better predictions regarding the way they cope and adjust.
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Comparative Study
A comparison of the relationship between depression, perceived disability, and physical performance in persons with chronic pain.
This study examined the relationships between self-report of depressive symptoms, perceived disability, and physical performance among 267 persons with chronic pain. Prior research has reported a relationship between depression and disability using self-report measures. However, self-report instruments may be prone to biases associated with depression as depressed persons with pain may have an exaggerated negative view of their level of function. ⋯ The magnitude of the relationships between depression and self-report and functional activity were similar, suggesting that a self-report bias associated with depression is not responsible for an observed relationship between depression and disability. Physiologic effort partially mediated the relationship between depression and physical performance. The findings further highlight the importance of depression in the experience of chronic pain.
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It was previously shown in a group of 9 patients with complex regional pain syndrome type 1 (CRPS1) that levels of the proinflammatory cytokines tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) are higher in blister fluid from the involved side. We hypothesize that local inflammation is responsible for the characteristics of CRPS1. The aim of this study was to confirm the previous observation in a large group of CRPS1 patients, repeating the measurement of TNF-alpha and IL-6 in blister fluid. ⋯ Our findings confirm the presence of local inflammation in a population of 66 patients in the first 2 years of CRPS1. Proinflammatory cytokines seem to be only partly involved in the pathophysiology of CRPS1, as indicated by the lack of coherence between TNF-alpha and IL-6 levels and the signs and symptoms of inflammation and disease duration. Other inflammatory mediators and mechanisms, such as central sensitization, are probably involved in the early stages of CRPS1.
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Adolescents with chronic pain report disability, distress and reduced social functioning. A clinical sample of 110 adolescents, with a mean four year history of pain, was investigated for the psychosocial impact of pain on social development. All participants completed a range of self-report measures of pain intensity, disability, distress, social and family functioning. ⋯ Pain intensity had a negative effect on all three factors. Findings suggest that adolescents with chronic pain judge themselves to be less developed than their peers. Pain intensity has a negative effect on this perception, but peer relations may play a protective role: strong peer relationships are associated with positive social comparisons of the level of social development.
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Hyperpolarization-activated cyclic nucleotide-gated (HCN) channels contribute to stabilizing resting membrane potential, thus controlling neuron excitability. Subclasses of nociceptive neurons differ in their excitability, therefore, these channels could be a distinguishing marker. We investigated isolated dorsal root ganglion neurons from a non-rodent species, the pig, Sus scrofa domesticus. ⋯ Western blot analysis showed protein products of sizes similar to those of HCN-1 and HCN-2 channel isoforms. Functionally, in patch-clamp experiments, some neurons were unresponsive to membrane hyperpolarization, thus, probably lacking HCN channels. In conclusion, in porcine dorsal root ganglion neurons there is a subset of capsaicin-positive, IB4-negative neurons lacking HCN-1 and/or HCN-2 channel isoforms.