Articles: neuralgia.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction in Breast Cancer Survivors with Chronic Neuropathic Pain: A Randomized Controlled Trial.
The purpose of this study was to compare the effects of group-delivered mindfulness-based stress reduction as compared to a waitlist control group among breast cancer survivors living with CNP. ⋯ Our randomized clinical trial did not find significant benefits of group-based mindfulness-based stress reduction for the management of CNP. The current study findings should be replicated and are important to consider given ongoing concerns that nonsignificant results of mindfulness-based stress reduction are often unpublished.
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The objective of this preclinical study was to examine the responses of the brain to noxious stimulation in the presence and absence of different modes of spinal cord stimulation (SCS) using blood-oxygen-level-dependent functional magnetic resonance imaging (BOLD-fMRI). ⋯ The high-resolution fMRI study using a rat model demonstrated the potential of different SCS modes to act on several pain-matrix-related regions of the brain in response to noxious stimulation. The burst and burst-cycle SCS exhibited greater brain activity reduction in response to noxious hindlimb stimulation in the caudate putamen, insula, and secondary somatosensory cortex compared to tonic stimulation.
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While spinal cord stimulation (SCS) is a well-established therapy to address refractory persistent spinal pain syndrome after spinal surgery (PSPS-T2), its lack of spatial selectivity and reported discomfort due to positional effects can be considered as significant limitations. As alternatives, new waveforms, such as burst stimulation and different spatial neural targets, such as dorsal root ganglion stimulation (DRGS), have shown promising results. Comparisons between DRGS and standard SCS, or their combination, have never been studied on the same patients. "BOOST DRG" is the first prospective, randomized, double-blinded, crossover study to compare SCS vs. ⋯ Before crossing over, patients will receive each stimulation modality for 1 month, using tonic conventional stimulation. After 3 months, stimulation will consist in switching to burst for 1 month, and patients will choose which modality/waveform they receive and will then be reassessed at 6 and 12 months. In addition to our primary outcome based on pain rating, this study is designed to assess quality of life, functional disability, psychological distress, pain surface coverage, global impression of change, medication quantification, adverse events, brain functional imaging and electroencephalography, with the objective being to provide a multidimensional insight based on composite pain assessment.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Dexamethasone Effectively Reduces the Incidence of Post-neurotomy Neuropathic Pain: A Randomized Controlled Pilot Study.
Radiofrequency neurotomy (RFN) of facet or sacroiliac joints is widely used for the treatment of chronic axial pain and can provide long-term pain relief in well-selected patients. The most common side effect is transient neuropathic pain at the paravertebral level of interest. Pain physicians commonly administer corticosteroid post-neurotomy to reduce the risk of post-neurotomy neuropathic pain, yet it remains unclear if this provides a true reduction in incidence. ⋯ A statistically significant reduction in post-neurotomy pain was observed in the steroid group. This protocol can be feasibly conducted in an effective and resource-efficient manner. Additional research is needed to increase the power of the study.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Prediction of Individual Analgesic Response to Intravenous Lidocaine in Painful Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy: A Randomized, Placebo-controlled, Cross-over Trial.
Intravenous lidocaine can alleviate painful diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN) in some patients. Whether quantitative sensory testing (QST) can identify treatment responders has not been prospectively tested. ⋯ While some participants reported therapeutic benefit from lidocaine administration, QST measures alone were not predictive of response to treatment. Further studies, powered to test more complex phenotypic interactions, are required to identify reliable predictors of response to pharmacotherapy in patients with DPN.