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Regional Anesthesia and Pain Medicine Jun 2024The efficacy of spinal cord stimulation (SCS) in chronic pain studies is traditionally assessed by pain scores, which do not reflect the multidimensional nature of pain... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
The efficacy of spinal cord stimulation (SCS) in chronic pain studies is traditionally assessed by pain scores, which do not reflect the multidimensional nature of pain perception. Despite the evidence of SCS's influence on emotional functioning comprehensive assessments of its effect remain lacking.
OBJECTIVE
To assess changes in emotional and psychosocial functioning in patients who underwent SCS implantation for chronic pain.
EVIDENCE REVIEW
Ovid MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsychINFO, Cochrane CENTRAL and Scopus databases were searched for original peer-reviewed publications reporting emotional functioning after SCS. The primary outcomes were a pooled mean difference (MD) in anxiety, depression, global functioning, mental well-being and pain catastrophizing at 12 months. The Grading of Recommendation, Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) was used to determine the quality of evidence.
FINDINGS
Thirty-two studies were included in the primary analysis. Statistically significant improvements were observed in anxiety (MD -2.16; 95% CI -2.84 to -1.49; p<0.001), depression (MD -4.66; 95% CI -6.26 to -3.06; p<0.001), global functioning (MD 20.30; 95% CI 14.69 to 25.90; p<0.001), mental well-being (MD 4.95; 95% CI 3.60 to 6.31; p<0.001), and pain catastrophizing (MD -12.09; 95% CI -14.94 to -9.23; p<0.001). Subgroup analyses revealed differences in Global Assessment of Functioning and mental well-being based on study design and in depression based on waveform paradigm.
CONCLUSION
The results highlight the statistically and clinically significant improvements in emotional and psychosocial outcomes in patients with chronic pain undergoing SCS therapy. However, these results need to be interpreted with caution due to the very low certainty of evidence per the GRADE criteria.
PROSPERO REGISTRATION
CRD42023446326.
PubMed: 38942426
DOI: 10.1136/rapm-2024-105523 -
NeuroImage Jun 2024The ability to perceive pain presents an interesting evolutionary advantage to adapt to an ever-changing environment. However, in the case of chronic pain (CP), pain...
The ability to perceive pain presents an interesting evolutionary advantage to adapt to an ever-changing environment. However, in the case of chronic pain (CP), pain perception hinders the capacity of the system to adapt to changing sensory environments. Similar to other chronic perceptual disorders, CP is also proposed to be a maladaptive compensation to aberrant sensory predictive processing. The local-global oddball paradigm relies on learning hierarchical rules and processing environmental irregularities at a local and global level. Prediction errors (PE) between actual and predicted input typically trigger an update of the forward model to limit the probability of encountering future PEs. It has been hypothesised that CP hinders forward model updating, reflected in increased local deviance and decreased global deviance. In the present study, we used the local-global paradigm to examine how CP influences hierarchical learning relative to healthy controls. As hypothesised, we observed that deviance in the stimulus characteristics evoked heightened local deviance and decreased global deviance of the stimulus-driven PE. This is also accompanied by respective changes in theta phase locking that is correlated with the subjective pain perception. Changes in the global deviant in the stimulus-driven-PE could also be explained by dampened attention-related responses. Changing the context of the auditory stimulus did not however show a difference in the context-driven PE. These findings suggest that CP is accompanied by maladaptive forward model updating where the constant presence of pain perception disrupts local deviance in non-nociceptive domains. Furthermore, we hypothesise that the auditory-processing based biomarker identified here could be a marker of domain-general dysfunction that could be confirmed by future research.
PubMed: 38942099
DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2024.120711 -
The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery.... Jun 2024Radiostereometric analysis (RSA) provides highly accurate data about the migration of a total knee arthroplasty (TKA) component. However, patient-reported outcome...
Tibial Baseplate Migration Is Not Associated with Change in Patient-Reported Outcome Measures and Clinical Scores After TKA: A Secondary Analysis of 5 Radiostereometric Analysis Studies with 10-Year Follow-up.
BACKGROUND
Radiostereometric analysis (RSA) provides highly accurate data about the migration of a total knee arthroplasty (TKA) component. However, patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) reflect the patients' perspective of their functional status, pain, and overall health after TKA. The aim of this study was to evaluate the association between tibial implant migration and change in postoperative PROMs and clinical scores, using data pooled from long-term follow-up RSA studies.
METHODS
Individual implant migration data were collected from 5 randomized RSA studies, including a total of 300 patients with 6 distinct TKA implant designs (all Stryker). Tibial implant migration (maximum total point motion [MTPM]) was evaluated with RSA at 3 months, 1 year, and 2, 5, 7, and 10 years postoperatively. The Knee Society Score (KSS)-Knee and KSS-Function and Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS) subscales were collected in all studies at the same follow-up times. Linear mixed-effects models, with adjustment for TKA implant design and patient characteristics, were used to analyze the data. The 3-month follow-up visit was used as the baseline to assess the association between implant migration and PROMs across the 10-year follow-up.
RESULTS
No association between tibial implant migration and change in KSS-Knee (p = 0.384), KSS-Function (p = 0.737), KOOS-Symptoms (p = 0.398), KOOS-Pain (p = 0.699), KOOS-Activities of Daily Living (p = 0.205), KOOS-Sport and Recreation (p = 0.702), or KOOS-Quality of Life (p = 0.368) was found across the entire follow-up. Similar results were found when using the 2-year follow-up as the baseline, after which both cemented and uncemented implants are expected to have stabilized.
CONCLUSIONS
Tibial baseplate migration was not associated with postoperative worsening in PROMs or clinical scores in patients who underwent TKA. These findings suggest that implant migration, as measured with RSA, measures a different parameter (i.e., implant-bone fixation) than PROMs (i.e., patient perception) and clinical scores. Therefore, to assess the performance and safety of TKA implant designs, RSA and PROMs cannot be used interchangeably during the postoperative follow-up of patients and evaluation of the fixation of knee implants.
LEVEL OF EVIDENCE
Prognostic Level III. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.
PubMed: 38941476
DOI: 10.2106/JBJS.23.00957 -
BMC Medical Education Jun 2024Refugees remain a marginalized population and are exposed to a variety of discriminatory processes, among them Othering which categorizes people as belonging or...
BACKGROUND
Refugees remain a marginalized population and are exposed to a variety of discriminatory processes, among them Othering which categorizes people as belonging or not-belonging according to certain ascribed characteristics. We explored how the narrative construction of refugee patients by medical students constitutes a form of Othering.
METHODS
Using story completion, 124 5th year medical students at the Martin- Luther- University Halle-Wittenberg in October 2019 wrote a fictional story in response to a story stem situated in a medical practice. In a comparative approach, one patient presenting with abdominal pain lacks further characterization (version A) and the other is a refugee (version B). The stories were coded using qualitative content analysis by Mayring with a focus on content and narrative strategies (plot structure and perspective).
RESULTS
We identified four themes: characters, medical condition, access to care and provision of substandard care. The stories were predominantly framed with a medical or an interaction-based plot structure and written from a process-oriented perspective. The themes in version B, supported by their use of narrative strategies, were largely contextualized within the patients' history of migration. An empathic depiction of patient B and the students' compassion for the patients facing substandard care were key motifs as well.
CONCLUSION
The perception of the version B patients predominantly as refugees establishes their construction as an Other. The students' compassion acts as a representation of societal inequalities and remains an inept response without the tools to counter underlying discriminatory structures. Based on a discourse of deservingness, compassion alone therefore perpetuates Othering and highlights the need for structural competency training in medical school.
Topics: Humans; Refugees; Students, Medical; Qualitative Research; Narration; Empathy; Female; Male; Adult; Physician-Patient Relations; Health Services Accessibility
PubMed: 38937730
DOI: 10.1186/s12909-024-05684-9 -
Indian Journal of Dental Research :... Jan 2024Dental radiography is an integral part of intraoral evaluation. Children are often uncomfortable during the placement of film or sensor due to the impingement of the...
BACKGROUND
Dental radiography is an integral part of intraoral evaluation. Children are often uncomfortable during the placement of film or sensor due to the impingement of the soft tissues. Thus, the perception of pain with three intraoral radiographic methods in children was evaluated using three subjective pain rating scales.
AIM
To evaluate the discomfort with three different techniques, that is, intraoral periapical (IOPA) radiograph, charge-coupled device (CCD), and photostimulable phosphor (PSP) luminescence (PSPL), using the Wong-Baker Faces Pain Rating Scale (WBFPRS), numerical rating scale, and visual analog scale (VAS).
MATERIALS AND METHODS
A sample of 35 children aged 6-12 years were divided into two groups: group 1 (6-8 years) and group 2 (9-12 years). For each child, simulations of the three radiological methods (IOPA, CCD, and PSPL) were performed. The meaning of each facial expression on the WBFPRS, VAS, and the numbers on the numerical rating scale was explained to each child before the procedure.
STATISTICAL ANALYSIS USED
A one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) test and paired-samples t-test are used.
RESULTS
The results revealed that the CCD sensors elicited higher pain scores than those obtained with IOPA and PSPL, whereas the IOPA film showed the least pain score. Higher score values were obtained in group 1 than in group 2, indicating that children aged 6-8 years felt higher discomfort than the 9- to 12-year age group for the same procedure. This difference was statistically significant (P < 0.001).
CONCLUSION
It was concluded that conventional IOPA films were tolerated better by children when compared to PSP plates and CCD sensors.
Topics: Humans; Child; Pain Measurement; Male; Female; Radiography, Dental, Digital; Pain Perception; Radiography, Dental
PubMed: 38934750
DOI: 10.4103/ijdr.ijdr_78_23 -
Archives of Rheumatology Jun 2024The study aimed to culturally adapt the full version of the Hip Disability and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (HOOS) into Turkish and evaluate its reliability and validity.
Translation, cross-cultural adaptation, reliability, and convergent and known-group validity of the Turkish full version of the Hip Disability and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score in patients with hip osteoarthritis.
OBJECTIVES
The study aimed to culturally adapt the full version of the Hip Disability and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (HOOS) into Turkish and evaluate its reliability and validity.
PATIENTS AND METHODS
Patients with hip osteoarthritis were included in the methodological crosscultural adaptation study between May 2022 and December 2022. We translated and adapted the HOOS into a Turkish version and validated it in a cohort of native Turkish-speaking patients with hip osteoarthritis. The HOOS includes five subscales named symptoms, pain, activities of daily living (ADL), sport and recreation (Sport/Rec), and quality of life (QoL). The psychometric properties of the Turkish HOOS were assessed. The reliability was investigated using test-retest reliability (intraclass correlation coefficient; ICC) and internal consistency methods (Cronbach's alpha). The convergent validity of the Turkish HOOS was evaluated by testing the predefined hypotheses using the correlations with the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) and the European Quality of Life Scale (EQ-5D-3L), a generic QoL scale.
RESULTS
A total of 202 patients (131 females, 71 males; mean age: 55.2±9.7 years; range, 50 to 70 years) were recruited for the study. Cronbach's alpha values for each subscale of the HOOS were as follows: symptoms=0.76, pain=0.94, ADL=0.96, Sport/Rec=0.87, QoL=0.78, and total score=0.98, indicating it has high internal consistency. For all subscales and total score of the HOOS, the ICC values were between 0.77 and 0.86, indicating good to excellent test-retest reliability. All correlations between each subscale and total score of the Turkish HOOS, WOMAC, and EQ-5D-3L were moderate to strong. Therefore, 23 predefined hypotheses out of 24 were confirmed with a confirmation rate of 96%, indicating the Turkish version of the HOOS had adequate convergent validity.
CONCLUSION
This study shows that the Turkish version of the HOOS has a convergent and knowngroup validity, internal consistency, and test-retest reliability. It can be used to assess the patient's perception of their hip and associated difficulties, as well as their symptoms and functional limitations.
PubMed: 38933727
DOI: 10.46497/ArchRheumatol.2024.10197 -
Materials (Basel, Switzerland) Jun 2024The field of electronic skin has received considerable attention due to its extensive potential applications in areas including tactile sensing and health monitoring....
The field of electronic skin has received considerable attention due to its extensive potential applications in areas including tactile sensing and health monitoring. With the development of electronic skin devices, electronic skin can be attached to the surface of human skin for long-term health monitoring, which makes comfort an essential factor that cannot be ignored in the design of electronic skin. Therefore, this paper proposes an assessment method for evaluating the comfort of electronic skin based on neurodynamic analysis. The holistic analysis framework encompasses the mechanical model of the skin, the modified Hodgkin-Huxley model for the transduction of stimuli, and the gate control theory for the modulation and perception of pain sensation. The complete process, from mechanical stimulus to the generation of pain perception, is demonstrated. Furthermore, the influence of different factors on pain perception is investigated. Sensation and comfort diagrams are provided to assess the mechanical comfort of electronic skin. The comfort assessment method proposed in this paper provides a theoretical basis when assessing the comfort of electronic skin.
PubMed: 38930289
DOI: 10.3390/ma17122920 -
Journal of Clinical Medicine Jun 2024: A physician in a chronic pain treatment clinic must recognize that the relationship between pain and spirituality is bidirectional. Chronic pain can decrease the level...
: A physician in a chronic pain treatment clinic must recognize that the relationship between pain and spirituality is bidirectional. Chronic pain can decrease the level of spiritual well-being, and low spiritual well-being can also significantly intensify the perception of pain and worsen coping with it. Currently, for many scientific and medical communities, it is evident that spiritual care is an indispensable element of holistic medicine. : The authors developed a non-religious spiritual care model provided by a physician at a chronic pain treatment clinic from May 2022 to February 2024. : The study utilized a mixed-method approach to conduct the research. The analysis consisted of twelve patients. A FACIT-Sp-12 questionnaire evaluated the individual's spiritual well-being before the intervention. The intervention involved asking patients open-ended questions about their life history, experiences, and spiritual beliefs and the physician's use of active listening and empathetic responses to what patients shared (relationship-building activities). The intervention aimed to assist patients in accepting the limitations of an incurable chronic disease, affirming the value of their lives, enhancing inner harmony, and increasing their sense of belonging to something greater. After the intervention, a re-assessment of the patient's spiritual well-being was conducted using the FACIT-Sp-12 questionnaire. Researchers collected qualitative data through a confidential survey that included the following instructions: "Please express an anonymous opinion on how you perceive the spiritual care provided by the physician". : There was an increase in spiritual well-being, assessed using the FACIT-Sp-12 scale, in 9 out of 12 patients. The median, as well as the average, level of spiritual well-being increased in a statistically significant way after the intervention ( < 0.05). This was primarily due to the higher value of the peace subscale of the questionnaire. Qualitative analysis revealed benefits reported by patients (personal development, gratitude, satisfaction, support, hope) resulting from physician's actions. : Both qualitative and quantitative data showed that establishing a relationship with the doctor improves the spiritual well-being of patients. Therefore, this model can be recommended for physicians in chronic pain treatment clinics.
PubMed: 38930144
DOI: 10.3390/jcm13123615 -
Journal of Clinical Medicine Jun 2024Hydrotherapy, including the use of therapeutic showers and bathtubs, has been studied for its potential benefits in labor pain management. Previous research has...
Hydrotherapy, including the use of therapeutic showers and bathtubs, has been studied for its potential benefits in labor pain management. Previous research has indicated that hydrotherapy can alleviate pain, but comparative studies between therapeutic showers and bathtubs are scarce. : This study aims to compare the effects of therapeutic showers and bathtubs on pain perception, labor duration, use of epidural analgesia, and maternal and neonatal outcomes during labor. : A total of 124 pregnant women were included in this study. Participants were divided into two groups: those who used a therapeutic shower and those who used a bathtub during labor. Pain levels were measured using a visual analog scale (VAS). Labor duration, use of epidural analgesia, types of delivery, maternal outcomes (postpartum hemorrhage, perineal status, maternal hypotension, fever, and breastfeeding), and neonatal outcomes (APGAR scores, fetal heart rate, complications, and neonatal unit admissions) were recorded and analyzed. : Both the therapeutic shower and the bathtub effectively reduced pain perception, with the bathtub showing a greater reduction in VAS scores. The therapeutic shower group experienced a significantly shorter labor duration compared to the bathtub group. The majority of participants in both groups did not require epidural analgesia, with no significant differences between the groups. There were no significant differences in the types of delivery. Maternal outcomes indicated a lower incidence of perineal tears and episiotomies in the therapeutic shower group. Neonatal outcomes, including APGAR scores and fetal heart rate, were similar between the groups, with no significant differences in complications or neonatal unit admissions. : Both therapeutic showers and bathtubs are effective for pain relief during labor, with the bathtub showing a higher reduction in pain intensity. The therapeutic shower is associated with a shorter labor duration and a lower incidence of perineal tears and episiotomies. Both methods are safe for neonatal well-being, making hydrotherapy a viable non-pharmacological option for pain management in labor. However, the therapeutic shower may offer additional benefits in terms of labor duration and maternal outcomes.
PubMed: 38930046
DOI: 10.3390/jcm13123517 -
Journal of Personalized Medicine May 2024Pain perception, far from being a pathological mechanism, is a crucial protective stimulus to prevent additional injuries. Any disturbance in this complex system poses... (Review)
Review
INTRODUCTION
Pain perception, far from being a pathological mechanism, is a crucial protective stimulus to prevent additional injuries. Any disturbance in this complex system poses significant risks to individuals, affecting their quality of life and even their survival.
OBJECTIVE
This review aims to explore congenital insensitivity to pain, an extremely rare genetic disorder with an autosomal recessive pattern that results in the inability to perceive pain. We will focus on the well-known subtype, congenital insensitivity to pain with anhidrosis (CIPA). Our research seeks to update existing knowledge through a comprehensive literature review.
METHODOLOGY
The review employs a systematic literature review, analyzing various sources and scientific documents, primarily emphasizing CIPA. The review follows the PROSPERO protocol, registered under CRD42023394489. The literature search was performed on the Scopus, PubMed, and Cinahl databases.
RESULTS
Our review reveals secondary complications associated with CIPA, such as recurrent bone fractures, temperature insensitivity, self-mutilation, and, occasionally, intellectual disabilities. The limited available information underscores the need for expanding our knowledge.
CONCLUSIONS
In summary, CIPA, particularly, presents a significant medical challenge with adverse impacts on quality of life. Early diagnosis, education for families and healthcare professionals, and appropriate nursing care are essential for effective management. This review highlights the necessity of further research and awareness to enhance support for those affected.
PubMed: 38929791
DOI: 10.3390/jpm14060570