PAIN�
Measurement of thresholds for heat-induced pain was performed on 106 normal subjects, at thenar eminence and foot dorsum, using the reaction time-inclusive method of limits. Tests were repeated 2 weeks following the first test for most of the subjects. After determination that there were no outlying data points and that there was no systematic relationship between magnitude and variability of test...
Rats in which the sciatic nerve is partially transected develop hyperalgesia which is relieved by sympathectomy. We carried out experiments using this model of experimental peripheral neuropathy to examine the peripheral mechanisms underlying sympathetically maintained pain. Subcutaneous injection of noradrenaline (NA) into the affected paw exacerbated the hyperalgesia but had no effect in control...
Neurophysiological and behavioural observations in animals suggest that sympathetic neural activity and noradrenaline have an excitatory effect on nociceptor discharge in inflamed skin. To determine whether noradrenaline influences pain sensations in humans, heat hyperalgesia in forearm skin sensitized by topical application of 0.6% capsaicin was measured at sites of noradrenaline or saline ionophoresis...
In a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind, cross-over study, the hypoalgesic effect of a single oral dose of 100 mg imipramine was investigated in 12 healthy volunteers. Test procedures performed before, 3, 6, and 9 h after medication included determination of (1) pain detection and tolerance thresholds to heat and pressure; (2) the thresholds of quadriceps femoris muscle withdrawal reflex...
Chronic pain adversely affects individuals' physical as well as emotional well-being. A cognitive-behavioral model has been proposed to explain the role of cognitive appraisal variables in mediating the development of emotional distress following pain of long duration. There is little evidence linking the prevalence of depression in chronic pain patients to life stage, but there are suggestions...
The contribution of non-biomedical factors to the experience of pain in the cancer patient has not been well established. Although intensity of pain reports cannot be fully explained by extent of identifiable nociception or neuropathy, behavioral factors have been only modest predictors of cancer pain report. Most studies that have demonstrated associations between pain and behavioral factors were...
In order to investigate the properties of dorsal horn neurones in the absence of the distorting influences of anaesthesia, preparative surgery, prior training or excessive restraint, recordings have been made in sheep chronically prepared for single-cell recording. Within the limitationss of sampling error of dorsal horn neurones with cutaneous receptive fields, the cell type most frequently encountered...
Seasonal variability has been detected in a variety of illnesses. The purpose of this study is to examine seasonal variability in pain intensity, demoralization and range of mandibular motion among patients suffering from myofascial face pain. Pain and demoralization for cases (n = 140) and demoralization for controls (n = 133) were measured in each of 10 monthly interviews. Range of motion was...
A number of studies have reported that psychological factors play a significant role in TMD. Several studies have identified subgroups of patients based on their responses to psychological assessments; however, none of these studies have reported on the clinical utility of classifications of TMD patients on these various measures. In this study, the differential response of 133 TMD patients classified...
The hypoalgesic effect of H-wave therapy (HWT) at various frequencies (2-60 Hz) was assessed using a standardised form of the submaximal effort tourniquet technique (SETT). Healthy human volunteers (n = 112; 56 men, 56 women) were required to attend on two occasions; on the first, baseline pain scores were obtained and on the second, 48 h later, subjects were randomly assigned to control, placebo...
The objective of the present study was to determine whether ondansetron, a specific serotonin type 3 receptor antagonist (5-HT 3 ), relieves cholestatic pruritus in patients resistant to conventional antipruritic therapy (antihistamines and cholestyramine).In a placebo-controlled study the acute effect of an intravenous injection of ondansetron (4 mg, 8 mg) or placebo (NaCl solution) was tested...
Afferent fibers in the rat hypogastric and pelvic nerves supply the uterus and vagina, respectively, the former being responsive mainly to intense uterine stimuli, the latter to gentle and intense vaginal stimuli (Berkley et al. 1993c). If such responses result in sensory experiences, those produced by uterine and vaginal stimulation should differ, uterine stimuli being experienced mainly as pain...
The active morphine metabolite, morphine-6-glucuronide (M-6-G), may contribute to both the analgesia and the adverse effects observed during morphine (MOR) therapy. To evaluate the relationship between M-6-G and adverse effects, we measured steady-state plasma concentrations of MOR and M-6-G and concurrently noted the presence or absence of moderate to severe cognitive impairment or myoclonus in...
The effect of lidocaine pretreatment on thermal hyperalgesia and thermal skin asymmetries provoked by experimental mononeuropathy was investigated in rats. Forty anesthetized rats were given sciatic nerve ligatures according to the technique of Bennett and Xie. Rats were divided into 3 groups: 16 were ligated without lidocaine, 16 were ligated after lidocaine bathing of the nerve, and 8 were ligated...
The orofacial formalin test in the rat is a valid and reliable model of nociception and is sensitive to various classes of analgesic drugs. The noxious stimulus consists in an injection of diluted formalin (2.5% in saline) into the upper lip. The behavioural nociceptive response is measured in terms of the amount of time the animal spends rubbing the injected area. Two distinct periods of intense...