Neuropathic

Selective fascicular involvement of the median nerve trunk above the elbow leading to anterior interosseous nerve (AIN) syndrome is a rare form of peripheral neuropathy. This condition has recently garnered increased attention within the medical community owing to advancements in imaging techniques and a growing number of reported cases. In this article, we explore the topographical anatomy of the median nerve trunk and the clinical features associated with AIN palsy. Our focus extends to unique manifestations captured through MRI and ultrasonography (US) studies, highlighting noteworthy findings, such as nerve fascicle swelling, incomplete constrictions, hourglass-like constrictions, and torsions, particularly in the posterior/posteromedial region of the median nerve...

The biphenyl scaffold represents a prominent privileged structure within the realms of organic chemistry and drug development. Biphenyl derivatives have demonstrated notable biological activities, including antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, anti-HIV, and the treatment of neuropathic pain. Importantly, their anticancer abilities should not be underestimated. In this context, the present study involves the design and synthesis of a series of biphenyl derivatives featuring an additional privileged structure, namely the quinoline core...

INTRODUCTION: Pruritus, particularly in its chronic form, often imposes significant suffering and reductions in patients' quality of life. The pathophysiology of itch is varied depending on disease context, creating opportunities for unique drug development and multimodal therapy. AREAS COVERED: The purpose of this article is to provide an update of the literature regarding current and emerging therapeutics in itch. We review the multitudes of drug targets available and corresponding drugs that have shown efficacy in clinical trials, with a particular emphasis on phase 2 and 3 trials and beyond...

Pain and somatosensory impairments are commonly reported following stroke. This study investigated the relationship between somatosensory impairments (touch detection, touch discrimination and proprioceptive discrimination) and the reported presence and perception of any bodily pain in stroke survivors. Stroke survivors with somatosensory impairment (N = 45) completed the Weinstein Enhanced Sensory Test (WEST), Tactile Discrimination Test, and Wrist Position Sense Test for quantification of somatosensation in both hands and the McGill Pain Questionnaire, visual analog scale and the Neuropathic Pain Symptom Inventory (NPSI) for reporting presence and perception of pain...

BACKGROUND: Comorbid chronic neuropathic pain (NPP) and anxio-depressive disorders (ADD) have become a serious global public-health problem. The SLIT and NTRK-like 1 (SLITRK1) protein is important for synaptic remodeling and is highly expressed in the amygdala, an important brain region involved in various emotional behaviors. We examined whether SLITRK1 protein in the amygdala participates in NPP and comorbid ADD. METHODS: A chronic NPP mouse model was constructed by L5 spinal nerve ligation; changes in chronic pain and ADD-like behaviors were measured in behavioral tests...

Chronic neuropathic pain (CNP) is a complex condition often arising from neural maladaptation after nerve injury. Understanding CNP complications involves the intricate interplay between brain-heart dynamics, assessed through quantitative electroencephalogram (qEEG) and heart rate variability (HRV). However, insights into their interaction in chronic pain are limited. Resting EEG and simultaneous electrocardiogram (lead II) of the participants were recorded for qEEG and HRV analysis. Correlations between HRV and qEEG parameters were calculated and compared with age, sex, and body mass index (BMI)-matched controls...

Neuroinflammation induced by engulfment of synapses by phagocytic microglia plays a crucial role in neuropathic pain. Stauntonia chinensis is extracted from Stauntonia chinensis DC, which has been used as a traditional Chinese medicine to control trigeminal neuralgia or sciatica. However, the specific anti-neuralgia mechanism of Stauntonia chinensis is unknown. In this study, the analgesic effect of Stauntonia chinensis injection (SCI) in mice with neuropathic pain and the possible mechanisms are explored. We find that a local injection of 0...

Sciatic hernias are unusual, challenging to diagnose, and can present some treatment dilemmas. Sciatic hernias containing the ureter are even less common. Symptoms are variable from renal fossa pain, mild or severe pelvic pain, neuropathic pain, or dysesthesias. Although stenting alone can be a treatment option for this condition, in cases where symptoms or ureteral obstruction relapse after initial treatment, sciatic hernioplasty must be considered as the definitive treatment. This article presents the case of a female patient who presented with a history of nonspecific abdominal pain and was diagnosed with a right-sided ureterosciatic hernia...

OBJECTIVE: Erythromelalgia is a rare, highly debilitating disorder characterised by severe episodes of discomfort, erythema, and desquamation of the extremities. Its causes include genetic factors, medications, and several underlying medical conditions. This paper describes a novel cause of erythromelalgia through a case report and literature review. CASE DESCRIPTION: A 47-year-old Caucasian man presented with a two-year history of intermittent pain, redness and desquamation of the hands...

Despite the advent of relatively reliable modalities of diagnosing diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN), such as nerve conduction studies, there is still a knowledge gap about the pathophysiology, and thus limited available interventions for symptom control and curtailing disease progression. The pharmacologic aspect of management is mainly centred on pain control, however, there are several important aspects of DPN such as loss of vibration sense, pressure sense, and proprioception which are associated with risks to lower limb health, which pharmacotherapy does not address...

The purpose of this study was to investigate the mechanisms underlying sex differences in the role of spinal α6 -subunit containing GABAA (α6 GABAA ) receptors in rats with neuropathic pain. Intrathecal 2,5-dihydro-7-methoxy-2-(4-methoxyphenyl)-3H-pyrazolo [4,3-c] quinoline-3-one (PZ-II-029, positive allosteric modulator of α6 GABAA receptors) reduced tactile allodynia in female but not in male rats with neuropathic pain. PZ-II-029 was also more effective in females than males in inflammatory and nociplastic pain...

The p.Arg301Gln variant in the α -galactosidase A gene ( GLA ) has been poorly described in the literature. The few reports show controversial information, with both classical and nonclassical Anderson-Fabry Disease (AFD) presentation patterns. The aim of this study was to analyze the penetrance, clinical phenotype, and biochemical profile of an international cohort of patients carrying the p.Arg301Gln genetic variant in the GLA gene. This was an observational, international, and retrospective cohort case series study of patients carrying the p...

Distal sensory polyneuropathy (DSP) is a disabling, chronic condition in people with HIV (PWH), even those with viral suppression of antiretroviral therapy (ART), and with a wide range of complications, such as reduced quality of life. Previous studies demonstrated that DSP is associated with inflammatory cytokines in PWH. Adhesion molecules, essential for normal vascular function, are perturbed in HIV and other conditions linked to DSP, but the link between adhesion molecules and DSP in PWH is unknown. This study aimed to determine whether DSP signs and symptoms were associated with a panel of plasma biomarkers of inflammation (d-dimer, sTNFRII, MCP-1, IL-6, IL-8, IP-10, sCD14) and vascular I integrity (ICAM-1, VCAM-1, uPAR, MMP-2, VEGF, uPAR, TIMP-1, TIMP-2) and differed between PWH and people without HIV (PWoH)...

BACKGROUND: Chronic lateral epicondylitis challenges the therapeutical approach; underlying mechanisms are incompletely understood; neuropathic pain and central and peripheral sensitization may explain the fact that botulinum toxin has been found to play a role in pain and function management. METHODS: We searched the literature for MeSH terms: lateral epicondylitis or synonyms and botulinum toxin. RESULTS: We found 14 papers containing trials on botulinum toxin injection into the tendon or into the extensor muscles (specifically, extensor carpi radialis brevis and extensor communis digitorum)...

Cancer survival is becoming more common which means that there is now a growing population of cancer survivors, in whom pain may be common. However, its prevalence has hardly been addressed systematically. We aimed to assess the prevalence and explore the pathophysiology and impact of pain on health outcomes in cancer survivors. We conducted a retrospective-prospective cohort study in cancer-free patients diagnosed with cancer at least five years before the study start date. We used multivariable regression to establish the association of patients' cancer characteristics with pain, and then the association of patients' pain features with health outcomes and related symptoms...

Recent studies suggest that amongst the GABAA receptor subtype heterogeneity, α2/α3 subunits of GABAA receptors mediate pain processing. Therefore, α2/α3-subtype selective GABAA receptor positive allosteric modulators (PAMs) may be candidate analgesics. Antinociceptive effects of α2/α3-subtype selective GABAA receptor PAMs have been reported, but the behavioral effects of these compounds have not been systematically evaluated. This study examined the behavioral effects of two α2/α3 subtype-selective GABAA receptor PAMs, KRM-II-81 and NS16085, in male rats...

Intraoperative remifentanil administration has been linked to increased postoperative pain sensitivity. Recent studies have identified the involvement of euchromatic histone-lysine N-methyltransferase 2 (Ehmt2/G9a) in neuropathic pain associated with the transcriptional silencing of many potassium ion channel genes. This study investigates whether G9a regulates the potassium sodium-activated channel subfamily T member 1 (Slo2.2) in remifentanil-induced post-incisional hyperalgesia (RIH) in rodents. We performed remifentanil infusion (1μg·kg-1·min-1 for 60min) followed by plantar incision to induce RIH in rodents...

Rhododendri Mollis Flos (R. mole Flos), the dried flowers of Rhododendron mole G. Don, have the ability to relieve pain, dispel wind and dampness, and dissolve blood stasis, but they are highly poisonous. The significance of this study is to explore the analgesic application potential of R. mole Flos and its representative component. According to the selected processing methods recorded in ancient literature, the analgesic activities of wine- and vinegar-processed R. mole Flos, as well as the raw product, were evaluated in a writhing test with acetic acid and a formalin-induced pain test...

OBJECTIVE: The sensory ventroposterior (VP) thalamic nuclei display a mediolateral somatotopic organization (respectively head, arm, and leg). We studied this somatotopy using directional VP deep brain stimulation (DBS) in patients treated for chronic neuropathic pain. METHODS: Six patients with central (four) or peripheral (two) neuropathic pain were treated by VP DBS using directional leads in a prospective study (clinicaltrials.gov NCT03399942). Lead-DBS toolbox was used for leads localization, visualization, and modeling of the volume of tissue activated (VTA)...

Midline catheters (MCs) are used to deliver intravenous therapy lasting over 5 days to patients in hospitals. However, the constant development of home and outpatient care is challenging medical teams to provide effective and safe planned therapy to patients under such conditions. We describe the first time an MC was used in outpatient pain management in Poland. A 60-year-old man presented to the Pain Management Clinic with a history of RCC of the left kidney and lumbar back pain radiating to the left knee joint...