Neurology
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Comparative Study Clinical Trial
Motor cortex stimulation for pain control induces changes in the endogenous opioid system.
Motor cortex stimulation (MCS) for neuropathic pain control induces focal cerebral blood flow changes involving regions with high density of opioid receptors. We studied the possible contribution of the endogenous opioid system to MCS-related pain relief. ⋯ The decrease in binding of the exogenous ligand was most likely explained by receptor occupancy due to enhanced secretion of endogenous opioids. Motor cortex stimulation (MCS) may thus induce release of endogenous opioids in brain structures involved in the processing of acute and chronic pain. Correlation of this effect with pain relief in at least two of these structures supports the role of the endogenous opioid system in pain control induced by MCS.
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Comment Letter Comparative Study
Comparison of levetiracetam and controlled-release carbamazepine in newly diagnosed epilepsy.
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Trigeminal neuralgia (TN) usually leads to paroxysms of short lasting but very severe pain. Between the attacks the patient is usually asymptomatic, but a constant dull background pain may persist in some cases. The mechanisms associated with the development of this chronic pain are not well understood. ⋯ The data suggest an impairment of the trigeminal nociceptive system due to demyelination and/or axonal dysfunction on the symptomatic side and locate this defect close to the root entry zone in the brainstem. Moreover, central facilitation of trigeminal nociceptive processing was observed in patients with trigeminal neuralgia with concomitant chronic facial pain indicating overactivation of central sensory transmission. This may represent a possible adaptive mechanism for the development of chronic pain.
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To evaluate the in-hospital mortality associated with generalized convulsive status epilepticus (GCSE), and predictors of death in a large US cohort. ⋯ Overall in-hospital mortality from generalized convulsive status epilepticus is low, but remarkably increases in those treated with mechanical ventilation. Other predictors of mortality include older age, female sex, hypoxic-ischemic brain injury, and higher comorbidity index.