Articles: hyperalgesia.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Effect of intravenous tropisetron on modulation of pain and central hypersensitivity in chronic low back pain patients.
The activation of 5-hydroxytryptamine-3 (5-HT-3) receptors in spinal cord can enhance intrinsic spinal mechanisms of central hypersensitivity, possibly leading to exaggerated pain responses. Clinical studies suggest that 5-HT-3 receptor antagonists may have an analgesic effect. This randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover study tested the hypothesis that the 5-HT-3 receptor antagonist tropisetron attenuates pain and central hypersensitivity in patients with chronic low back pain. ⋯ However, there was no statistically significant difference between tropisetron and placebo in VAS scores. Compared to placebo, tropisetron produced a statistically significant increase in pain threshold after single electrical stimulation, but no difference in all other secondary outcomes was found. A single-dose intravenous administration of tropisetron in patients with chronic low back pain had no significant specific effect on intensity of pain and most parameters of central hypersensitivity.
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Curr Opin Pharmacol · Feb 2012
ReviewHyperalgesia by synaptic long-term potentiation (LTP): an update.
Long-term potentiation of synaptic strength (LTP) in nociceptive pathways shares principle features with hyperalgesia including induction protocols, pharmacological profile, neuronal and glial cell types involved and means for prevention. LTP at synapses of nociceptive nerve fibres constitutes a contemporary cellular model for pain amplification following trauma, inflammation, nerve injury or withdrawal from opioids. It provides a novel target for pain therapy. This review summarizes recent progress which has been made in unravelling the properties and functions of LTP in the nociceptive system and in identifying means for its prevention and reversal.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Effectiveness of a multidimensional physical therapy program on pain, pressure hypersensitivity, and trigger points in breast cancer survivors: a randomized controlled clinical trial.
To evaluate the effects of an 8-week multidimensional physical therapy program, including strengthening exercises and recovery massage, on neck and shoulder pain, pressure hypersensitivity, and the presence of active trigger points (TrPs) in breast cancer survivors. ⋯ An 8-week multidimensional program including strengthening exercises, and massage as major components was effective for improving neck and shoulder pain and reducing widespread pressure hyperalgesia in breast cancer survivors compared with usual care treatment.
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Eur. J. Clin. Invest. · Feb 2012
ReviewIn the mind or in the brain? Scientific evidence for central sensitisation in chronic fatigue syndrome.
Central sensitisation entails several top-down and bottom-up mechanisms, all contributing to the hyperresponsiveness of the central nervous system to a variety of inputs. In the late nineties, it was first hypothesised that chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) is characterised by hypersensitivity of the central nervous system (i.e. central sensitisation). Since then, several studies have examined central sensitisation in patients with CFS. This study provides an overview of such studies. ⋯ The observation of central sensitisation in CFS is in line with our current understanding of CFS. The presence of central sensitisation in CFS corroborates with the presence of several psychological influences on the illness, the presence of infectious agents and immune dysfunctions and the dysfunctional hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis as seen in these severely debilitated patients.
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Semin. Arthritis Rheum. · Feb 2012
ReviewCentral sensitization in patients with rheumatoid arthritis: a systematic literature review.
The goal of the present study is to systematically review the scientific literature addressing central sensitization and central nociceptive processing in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). ⋯ The symmetrical manifestation of the disease, the poor relation between disease activity and symptoms, and the generalized hyperalgesia at both articular and nonarticular sites for different kinds of stimuli are indicative of the presence of central sensitization in RA patients. Further research is required to provide firm evidence in support of various aspects of central sensitization in humans with RA.