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Miltner WHR, Franz M, Naumann E. Neuroscientific results of experimental studies on the control of acute pain with hypnosis and suggested analgesia. Front Psychol 2024; 15:1371636. [PMID: 38638524 PMCID: PMC11025616 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1371636] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2024] [Accepted: 03/18/2024] [Indexed: 04/20/2024] Open
Abstract
This narrative review summarizes a representative collection of electrophysiological and imaging studies on the neural processes and brain sources underlying hypnotic trance and the effects of hypnotic suggestions on the processing of experimentally induced painful events. It complements several reviews on the effect of hypnosis on brain processes and structures of chronic pain processing. Based on a summary of previous findings on the neuronal processing of experimentally applied pain stimuli and their effects on neuronal brain structures in healthy subjects, three neurophysiological methods are then presented that examine which of these neuronal processes and structures get demonstrably altered by hypnosis and can thus be interpreted as neuronal signatures of the effect of analgesic suggestions: (A) On a more global neuronal level, these are electrical processes of the brain that can be recorded from the cranial surface of the brain with magnetoencephalography (MEG) and electroencephalography (EEG). (B) On a second level, so-called evoked (EPs) or event-related potentials (ERPs) are discussed, which represent a subset of the brain electrical parameters of the EEG. (C) Thirdly, imaging procedures are summarized that focus on brain structures involved in the processing of pain states and belong to the main imaging procedures of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI/fMRI) and positron emission tomography (PET). Finally, these different approaches are summarized in a discussion, and some research and methodological suggestions are made as to how this research could be improved in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wolfgang H. R. Miltner
- Institute of Psychology, Friedrich Schiller University of Jena, Jena, Thuringia, Germany
| | - Marcel Franz
- Institute of Psychology, Friedrich Schiller University of Jena, Jena, Thuringia, Germany
| | - Ewald Naumann
- Institute of Psychology, University of Trier, Trier, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany
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2
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Kersebaum D, Fabig SC, Sendel M, Muntean AC, Baron R, Hüllemann P. Revealing the time course of laser-evoked potential habituation by high temporal resolution analysis. Eur J Pain 2021; 25:2112-2128. [PMID: 34155707 DOI: 10.1002/ejp.1823] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2020] [Accepted: 06/10/2021] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES Reduced laser-evoked potential (LEP) habituation indicates abnormal central pain processing. But the paradigm (four stimulation blocks a 25 stimuli) is time consuming and potentially omits important information on the exact habituation time course. This study examined whether a high temporal resolution (HTR) analysis (dividing the four stimulation blocks into 12 analysis blocks) can answer the following questions: (a) After how many stimuli does LEP habituation occur? (b) Is there a difference in LEP habituation in younger versus older subjects? (c) Is HTR applicable on radiculopathy patients? METHODS EEG data of 129 subjects were included. Thirty-four young healthy and 28 advanced-aged healthy subjects were tested with LEPs on the hand dorsum. Thirty-seven radiculopathy patients and 30 controls were tested with LEPs on the L3 dermatome. The EEG data of the hand dorsa have been analysed conventionally and with HTR analysis. The applicability of HTR has been tested on radiculopathy patients and respective controls. RESULTS HTR was well feasible in young healthy subjects and revealed a strong habituation effect during the first 25 stimuli (i.e. within the first 5 min). After approximately 48 stimuli, no further significant habituation was detectable. LEP amplitudes were higher in young subjects. HTR was unsuitable for elderly subjects and middle-aged radiculopathy patients. CONCLUSIONS In young healthy subjects, HTR allows a shortening of the test protocol while providing a detailed information on the time course of LEP habituation. A shorter protocol might be useful for the applicability of the LEP paradigm for clinical and experimental settings as well as pharmacological studies. SIGNIFICANCE The usage of high temporal resolution (HTR) analysis in young healthy subjects enables a short test protocol and provides the exact time course of laser-evoked potential habituation. This can be useful for the examination of neurological conditions affecting younger patients and for pharmacological studies. HTR was inapplicable in advanced-aged subjects and patients with radiculopathy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dilara Kersebaum
- Division of Neurological Pain Research and Therapy, Department of Neurology, University Clinic Schleswig-Holstein, Kiel, Germany
| | - Sophie-Charlotte Fabig
- Division of Neurological Pain Research and Therapy, Department of Neurology, University Clinic Schleswig-Holstein, Kiel, Germany
| | - Manon Sendel
- Division of Neurological Pain Research and Therapy, Department of Neurology, University Clinic Schleswig-Holstein, Kiel, Germany
| | - Alexandra Cristina Muntean
- Division of Neurological Pain Research and Therapy, Department of Neurology, University Clinic Schleswig-Holstein, Kiel, Germany
| | - Ralf Baron
- Division of Neurological Pain Research and Therapy, Department of Neurology, University Clinic Schleswig-Holstein, Kiel, Germany
| | - Philipp Hüllemann
- Division of Neurological Pain Research and Therapy, Department of Neurology, University Clinic Schleswig-Holstein, Kiel, Germany
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3
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de Tommaso M, Betti V, Bocci T, Bolognini N, Di Russo F, Fattapposta F, Ferri R, Invitto S, Koch G, Miniussi C, Piccione F, Ragazzoni A, Sartucci F, Rossi S, Arcara G, Berchicci M, Bianco V, Delussi M, Gentile E, Giovannelli F, Mannarelli D, Marino M, Mussini E, Pauletti C, Pellicciari MC, Pisoni A, Raggi A, Valeriani M. Pearls and pitfalls in brain functional analysis by event-related potentials: a narrative review by the Italian Psychophysiology and Cognitive Neuroscience Society on methodological limits and clinical reliability-part I. Neurol Sci 2020; 41:2711-2735. [PMID: 32388645 DOI: 10.1007/s10072-020-04420-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2019] [Accepted: 04/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Event-related potentials (ERPs) are obtained from the electroencephalogram (EEG) or the magnetoencephalogram (MEG, event-related fields (ERF)), extracting the activity that is time-locked to an event. Despite the potential utility of ERP/ERF in cognitive domain, the clinical standardization of their use is presently undefined for most of procedures. The aim of the present review is to establish limits and reliability of ERP medical application, summarize main methodological issues, and present evidence of clinical application and future improvement. The present section of the review focuses on well-standardized ERP methods, including P300, Contingent Negative Variation (CNV), Mismatch Negativity (MMN), and N400, with a chapter dedicated to laser-evoked potentials (LEPs). One section is dedicated to proactive preparatory brain activity as the Bereitschaftspotential and the prefrontal negativity (BP and pN). The P300 and the MMN potentials have a limited but recognized role in the diagnosis of cognitive impairment and consciousness disorders. LEPs have a well-documented usefulness in the diagnosis of neuropathic pain, with low application in clinical assessment of psychophysiological basis of pain. The other ERP components mentioned here, though largely applied in normal and pathological cases and well standardized, are still confined to the research field. CNV, BP, and pN deserve to be largely tested in movement disorders, just to explain possible functional changes in motor preparation circuits subtending different clinical pictures and responses to treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marina de Tommaso
- Applied Neurophysiology and Pain Unit-AnpLab-University of Bari Aldo Moro, Bari, Italy
| | - Viviana Betti
- Department of Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy.,IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia (Santa Lucia Foundation), Rome, Italy
| | - Tommaso Bocci
- Department of Health Sciences, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Nadia Bolognini
- Department of Psychology & NeuroMi, University of Milano Bicocca, Milan, Italy.,Laboratory of Neuropsychology, IRCCS Istituto Auxologico, Milan, Italy
| | - Francesco Di Russo
- Department of Movement, Human and Health Sciences, University of Rome "Foro Italico", Rome, Italy
| | | | | | - Sara Invitto
- INSPIRE - Laboratory of Cognitive and Psychophysiological Olfactory Processes, University of Salento, Lecce, Italy
| | - Giacomo Koch
- IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia (Santa Lucia Foundation), Rome, Italy.,Department of Neuroscience, Policlinico Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy
| | - Carlo Miniussi
- Center for Mind/Brain Sciences - CIMeC, University of Trento, Rovereto, Italy.,Cognitive Neuroscience Section, IRCCS Istituto Centro San Giovanni di Dio Fatebenefratelli, Brescia, Italy
| | - Francesco Piccione
- Brain Imaging and Neural Dynamics Research Group, IRCCS San Camillo Hospital, Venice, Italy
| | - Aldo Ragazzoni
- Unit of Neurology and Clinical Neurophysiology, Fondazione PAS, Scandicci, Florence, Italy
| | - Ferdinando Sartucci
- Section of Neurophysiopathology, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy.,CNR Institute of Neuroscience, Pisa, Italy
| | - Simone Rossi
- Department of Medicine, Surgery and Neuroscience Siena Brain Investigation and Neuromodulation Lab (SI-BIN Lab), University of Siena, Siena, Italy
| | - Giorgio Arcara
- Brain Imaging and Neural Dynamics Research Group, IRCCS San Camillo Hospital, Venice, Italy
| | - Marika Berchicci
- Department of Movement, Human and Health Sciences, University of Rome "Foro Italico", Rome, Italy
| | - Valentina Bianco
- IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia (Santa Lucia Foundation), Rome, Italy.,Department of Movement, Human and Health Sciences, University of Rome "Foro Italico", Rome, Italy
| | - Marianna Delussi
- Applied Neurophysiology and Pain Unit-AnpLab-University of Bari Aldo Moro, Bari, Italy
| | - Eleonora Gentile
- Applied Neurophysiology and Pain Unit-AnpLab-University of Bari Aldo Moro, Bari, Italy
| | - Fabio Giovannelli
- Section of Psychology - Department of Neuroscience, Psychology, Drug Research, Child Health, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Daniela Mannarelli
- Department of Human Neuroscience, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Marco Marino
- Brain Imaging and Neural Dynamics Research Group, IRCCS San Camillo Hospital, Venice, Italy
| | - Elena Mussini
- Department of Movement, Human and Health Sciences, University of Rome "Foro Italico", Rome, Italy
| | - Caterina Pauletti
- Department of Human Neuroscience, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | | | - Alberto Pisoni
- Department of Psychology & NeuroMi, University of Milano Bicocca, Milan, Italy
| | - Alberto Raggi
- Unit of Neurology, G.B. Morgagni - L. Pierantoni Hospital, Forlì, Italy
| | - Massimiliano Valeriani
- Neurology Ward Unit, Bambino Gesù Hospital, Rome, Italy. .,Center for Sensory-Motor Interaction, Aalborg University, Aalborg, Denmark.
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Abstract
Clinical neurophysiologic investigation of pain pathways in humans is based on specific techniques and approaches, since conventional methods of nerve conduction studies and somatosensory evoked potentials do not explore these pathways. The proposed techniques use various types of painful stimuli (thermal, laser, mechanical, or electrical) and various types of assessments (measurement of sensory thresholds, study of nerve fiber excitability, or recording of electromyographic reflexes or cortical potentials). The two main tests used in clinical practice are quantitative sensory testing and pain-related evoked potentials (PREPs). In particular, PREPs offer the possibility of an objective assessment of nociceptive pathways. Three types of PREPs can be distinguished depending on the type of stimulation used to evoke pain: laser-evoked potentials, contact heat evoked potentials, and intraepidermal electrical stimulation evoked potentials (IEEPs). These three techniques investigate both small-diameter peripheral nociceptive afferents (mainly Aδ nerve fibers) and spinothalamic tracts without theoretically being able to differentiate the level of lesion in the case of abnormal results. In routine clinical practice, PREP recording is a reliable method of investigation for objectifying the existence of a peripheral or central lesion or loss of function concerning the nociceptive pathways, but not the existence of pain. Other methods, such as nerve fiber excitability studies using microneurography, more directly reflect the activities of nociceptive axons in response to provoked pain, but without detecting or quantifying the presence of spontaneous pain. These methods are more often used in research or experimental study design. Thus, it should be kept in mind that most of the results of neurophysiologic investigation performed in clinical practice assess small fiber or spinothalamic tract lesions rather than the neuronal mechanisms directly at the origin of pain and they do not provide objective quantification of pain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jean-Pascal Lefaucheur
- Excitabilité Nerveuse et Thérapeutique, Faculté de Médecine de Créteil, Université Paris-Est-Créteil, Hôpital Henri Mondor, Créteil, France; Service de Physiologie-Explorations Fonctionnelles, Hôpital Henri Mondor, Créteil, France.
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5
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Peng WW, Guo XL, Jin QQ, Wei H, Xia XL, Zhang Y, Huang PC, Wang WC, Li SL, Wang JS, Chen J, Hu L. Biological mechanism of post-herpetic neuralgia: Evidence from multiple patho-psychophysiological measures. Eur J Pain 2016; 21:827-842. [PMID: 27977069 DOI: 10.1002/ejp.985] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/04/2016] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Post-herpetic neuralgia (PHN), which develops after the resolution of a herpes zoster eruption, is an exceptionally drug-resistant neuropathic pain. The unsatisfactory management of PHN partly results from the difficulty in dissecting out its contributing factors due to the complexity of PHN mechanism. METHODS Here, to elaborate our understanding of the PHN mechanism and to establish a basis for effective therapeutic strategies, we comprehensively investigated the contributions of multiple factors to PHN severity. RESULTS Based on the comparison of somatosensory detection thresholds (C, Aδ and Aβ fibre thresholds) between affected and unaffected sides, 16 PHN patients with significant sensory deficits and 13 PHN patients without significant sensory deficits were identified and assigned to different groups. The different extents of lesions in the nociceptive system between patients with and without sensory deficits were confirmed using laser-evoked brain responses. Moreover, patients with sensory deficits had more severe pain and psychological disorders, e.g. anxiety and depression. Importantly, chronic pain severity was significantly influenced by various psychophysiological factors (sleep disturbances, psychological disorders and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis dysfunction) for patients with sensory deficits. CONCLUSIONS Our findings demonstrated the contribution of multiple patho-psychophysiological factors to PHN severity, which could help establish a basis for the development of a rational, patient-centred therapeutic strategy. SIGNIFICANCE This study revealed the contribution of multiple patho-psychophysiological factors to PHN severity, which expanded our understanding of the underlying PHN mechanism, and helped develop a rational, patient-centred therapeutic strategy targeting towards the corresponding etiology and psychophysiological disorders for individual patient.
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Affiliation(s)
- W W Peng
- Brain Function and Psychological Science Research Center, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - X L Guo
- Department of Pain Medicine, Daping Hospital & Research Institute of Surgery, The Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Q Q Jin
- Key Laboratory of Cognition and Personality (Ministry of Education) and School of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - H Wei
- Key Laboratory of Cognition and Personality (Ministry of Education) and School of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - X L Xia
- Key Laboratory of Cognition and Personality (Ministry of Education) and School of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Y Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Cognition and Personality (Ministry of Education) and School of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - P C Huang
- Department of Pain Medicine, Daping Hospital & Research Institute of Surgery, The Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - W C Wang
- Department of Pain Medicine, Daping Hospital & Research Institute of Surgery, The Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - S L Li
- Department of Pain Medicine, Daping Hospital & Research Institute of Surgery, The Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - J S Wang
- Department of Pain Medicine, Guangzhou Red Cross Hospital of Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - J Chen
- Institute for Biomedical Sciences of Pain, Tangdu Hospital, The Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, China
| | - L Hu
- Key Laboratory of Cognition and Personality (Ministry of Education) and School of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China.,CAS Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Beijing, China
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6
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Jutzeler CR, Rosner J, Rinert J, Kramer JLK, Curt A. Normative data for the segmental acquisition of contact heat evoked potentials in cervical dermatomes. Sci Rep 2016; 6:34660. [PMID: 27708413 PMCID: PMC5052572 DOI: 10.1038/srep34660] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2016] [Accepted: 09/13/2016] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Contact heat evoked potentials (CHEPs) represent a neurophysiological approach to assess conduction in the spinothalamic tract. The aim of this study was to establish normative values of CHEPs acquired from cervical dermatomes (C4, C6, C8) and examine the potential confounds of age, sex, and height. 101 (49 male) healthy subjects of three different age groups (18–40, 41–60, and 61–80 years) were recruited. Normal (NB, 35–52 °C) followed by increased (IB, 42–52 °C) baseline stimulation protocols were employed to record CHEPs. Multi-variate linear models were used to investigate the effect of age, sex, and height on the CHEPs parameters (i.e., N2 latency, N2P2 amplitude, rating of perceived intensity). Compared to NB, IB stimulation reduced latency jitter within subjects, yielding larger N2P2 amplitudes, and decreased inter-subject N2 latency variability. Age was associated with reduced N2P2 amplitude and prolonged N2 latency. After controlling for height, male subjects had significantly longer N2 latencies than females during IB stimulation. The study provides normative CHEPs data in a large cohort of healthy subjects from segmentally examined cervical dermatomes. Age and sex were identified as important factors contributing to N2 latency and N2P2 amplitude. The normative data will improve the diagnosis of spinal cord pathologies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Catherine R Jutzeler
- Spinal Cord Injury Center, University Hospital Balgrist, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.,ICORD, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Jan Rosner
- Spinal Cord Injury Center, University Hospital Balgrist, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Janosch Rinert
- Spinal Cord Injury Center, University Hospital Balgrist, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - John L K Kramer
- ICORD, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.,School of Kinesiology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Armin Curt
- Spinal Cord Injury Center, University Hospital Balgrist, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
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8
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Landmann G, Lustenberger C, Schleinzer W, Schmelz M, Stockinger L, Rukwied R. Short lasting transient effects of a capsaicin 8% patch on nociceptor activation in humans. Eur J Pain 2016; 20:1443-53. [DOI: 10.1002/ejp.867] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/27/2016] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- G. Landmann
- Centre for Pain Medicine; Swiss Paraplegic Centre; Nottwil Switzerland
| | - C. Lustenberger
- Centre for Pain Medicine; Swiss Paraplegic Centre; Nottwil Switzerland
| | - W. Schleinzer
- Centre for Pain Medicine; Swiss Paraplegic Centre; Nottwil Switzerland
| | - M. Schmelz
- University Medicine Mannheim; Department of Anesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine; University of Heidelberg; Germany
| | - L. Stockinger
- Centre for Pain Medicine; Swiss Paraplegic Centre; Nottwil Switzerland
| | - R. Rukwied
- University Medicine Mannheim; Department of Anesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine; University of Heidelberg; Germany
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9
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Kirveskari E, Vartiainen NV, Kallio-Laine K, Kalso E, Forss N. Normal laser-evoked cortical responses in patients with chronic hemibody pain. Eur J Pain 2014; 19:1168-76. [PMID: 25523148 DOI: 10.1002/ejp.642] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/02/2014] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Patients with widespread unilateral chronic pain associated with recurrent herpes simplex virus (HSV) infections show functional and/or structural changes in the insula, anterior cingulate cortex, frontal and prefrontal cortices, as well as the thalamus, suggesting central dysfunction of the pain system in these patients. Central pain has been associated with attenuated laser-evoked cortical responses. We aimed to clarify whether the observed deficient activation of these areas to acute nociceptive stimuli is due to a lesion at a lower level of pain processing pathways. METHODS We explored the functional integrity of the ascending nociceptive pathways by recording the cortical-evoked responses to noxious laser stimulation using magnetoencephalography and electroencephalography in eight patients (age 41-51 years, mean 46) with recurrent HSV infections and a history of chronic, spontaneous, widespread unilateral pain, and in nine age-matched healthy control subjects. RESULTS The cortical-evoked fields of the HSV patients originating from the secondary somatosensory and posterior parietal cortices, as well as the evoked potentials recorded from the midline, did not differ from those of the control subjects, indicating functionally intact ascending nociceptive pathways. CONCLUSIONS The present results show that our patients with chronic hemibody pain do not show signs of spinothalamic tract lesion. This indicates normal processing of sensory aspects of painful stimuli, while higher pain processing areas show altered activation. We conclude that normal laser-evoked magnetic fields (LEF) or laser-evoked potentials (LEP) may not exclude central pain condition.
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Affiliation(s)
- E Kirveskari
- Brain Research Unit and MEG Core, O.V. Lounasmaa Laboratory, Aalto Neuroimaging, School of Science, Aalto University, Espoo, Finland.,Department of Clinical Neurophysiology, HUS Medical Imaging Center, Helsinki University Central Hospital, Finland.,Department of Neurological Sciences, University of Helsinki, Finland
| | - N V Vartiainen
- Brain Research Unit and MEG Core, O.V. Lounasmaa Laboratory, Aalto Neuroimaging, School of Science, Aalto University, Espoo, Finland
| | - K Kallio-Laine
- Department of Anaesthesia and Intensive Care Medicine, Pain Clinic, Helsinki University Central Hospital, Finland
| | - E Kalso
- Department of Anaesthesia and Intensive Care Medicine, Pain Clinic, Helsinki University Central Hospital, Finland.,Institute of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Finland
| | - N Forss
- Brain Research Unit and MEG Core, O.V. Lounasmaa Laboratory, Aalto Neuroimaging, School of Science, Aalto University, Espoo, Finland.,Department of Neurological Sciences, University of Helsinki, Finland.,Department of Neurology, Helsinki University Central Hospital, Finland
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10
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Franz M, Ritter A, Puta C, Nötzel D, Miltner WHR, Weiss T. Laser heat hyperalgesia is not a feature of non-specific chronic low back pain. Eur J Pain 2014; 18:1501-8. [PMID: 24842773 DOI: 10.1002/ejp.535] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/08/2014] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Based upon studies using mechanical pin-prick, pressure, electrical or heat stimuli applied to painful and/or pain-free parts of the body, chronic low back pain (CLBP) has been shown to be associated with generalized and enhanced pain sensitivity and altered brain responses to noxious stimuli. To date, no study examined the processing of noxious laser heat pulses, which are known to selectively excite thermal nociceptors located in the superficial skin layers, in CLBP. METHODS We studied laser heat pain thresholds (LHPTs) and nociceptive laser-evoked brain electrical potentials (LEPs) following skin stimulation of the pain-affected back and the pain-free abdomen using noxious laser heat stimulation in 16 CLBP patients and 16 age- and gender-matched healthy controls (HCs). RESULTS We observed no statistically significant differences in LHPTs between CLBP patients and HCs, neither on the back nor on the abdomen. Furthermore, we found no evidence for altered brain responses between CLBP patients and HCs in response to stimulation of the back and abdomen in single-trial latencies and amplitudes of LEP components (N2, P2). CONCLUSION The results are in contrast to previous studies showing hypersensitivity to different experimental noxious stimuli (e.g., contact heat). We argue that these discrepancies may be due to low spatial and temporal summation within the central nervous system following laser heat stimulation. Our results indicate important methodological differences between laser heat and thermode stimulation that should be taken into account when interpreting results, such as from thermal quantitative sensory testing.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Franz
- Department of Biological and Clinical Psychology, Friedrich Schiller University of Jena, Germany
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11
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Pazzaglia C, Valeriani M. Brain-evoked potentials as a tool for diagnosing neuropathic pain. Expert Rev Neurother 2014; 9:759-71. [DOI: 10.1586/ern.09.16] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
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12
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Valeriani M, Pazzaglia C, Cruccu G, Truini A. Clinical usefulness of laser evoked potentials. Neurophysiol Clin 2012; 42:345-53. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neucli.2012.05.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 71] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2012] [Revised: 05/10/2012] [Accepted: 05/13/2012] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
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13
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Förster M, Umnus A, Siebrecht D, Baron R, Wasner G. A case of pain, motor impairment, and swelling of the arm after acute herpes zoster infection. Pain 2012; 153:2478-2481. [PMID: 22980745 DOI: 10.1016/j.pain.2012.08.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2011] [Revised: 08/06/2012] [Accepted: 08/07/2012] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
Complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) and postherpetic neuralgia (PHN) represent neuropathic pain syndromes that may appear with similar clinical signs and symptoms. Medical history and clinical distribution of symptoms and signs (PHN typically at the thorax; CRPS typically at the limbs) is obvious in most cases, helping to discriminate between both disorders. Here, we present a patient suffering from CRPS II following PHN of one upper extremity. This case demonstrates that both etiology and part of the body affected by a neuropathy influence the pain phenotype.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matti Förster
- Klinik für Neurologie, Sektion für Neurologische Schmerzforschung und -therapie, Universitätsklinik Schleswig-Holstein, Campus Kiel, Kiel, Germany Klinik für Anästhesiologie und Operative Intensivmedizin, Universitätsklinik Schleswig-Holstein, Campus Kiel, Kiel, Germany
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14
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Franz M, Spohn D, Ritter A, Rolke R, Miltner WHR, Weiss T. Laser heat stimulation of tiny skin areas adds valuable information to quantitative sensory testing in postherpetic neuralgia. Pain 2012; 153:1687-1694. [PMID: 22657400 DOI: 10.1016/j.pain.2012.04.029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2011] [Revised: 04/25/2012] [Accepted: 04/30/2012] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Patients suffering from postherpetic neuralgia often complain about hypo- or hypersensation in the affected dermatome. The loss of thermal sensitivity has been demonstrated by quantitative sensory testing as being associated with small-fiber (Aδ- and C-fiber) deafferentation. We aimed to compare laser stimulation (radiant heat) to thermode stimulation (contact heat) with regard to their sensitivity and specificity to detect thermal sensory deficits related to small-fiber dysfunction in postherpetic neuralgia. We contrasted detection rate of laser stimuli with 5 thermal parameters (thresholds of cold/warm detection, cold/heat pain, and sensory limen) of quantitative sensory testing. Sixteen patients diagnosed with unilateral postherpetic neuralgia and 16 age- and gender-matched healthy control subjects were tested. Quantitative sensory testing and laser stimulation of tiny skin areas were performed in the neuralgia-affected skin and in the contralateral homologue of the neuralgia-free body side. Across the 5 thermal parameters of thermode stimulation, only one parameter (warm detection threshold) revealed sensory abnormalities (thermal hypoesthesia to warm stimuli) in the neuralgia-affected skin area of patients but not in the contralateral area, as compared to the control group. In contrast, patients perceived significantly less laser stimuli both in the affected skin and in the contralateral skin compared to controls. Overall, laser stimulation proved more sensitive and specific in detecting thermal sensory abnormalities in the neuralgia-affected skin, as well as in the control skin, than any single thermal parameter of thermode stimulation. Thus, laser stimulation of tiny skin areas might be a useful diagnostic tool for small-fiber dysfunction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcel Franz
- Department of Biological and Clinical Psychology, Friedrich-Schiller-University of Jena, Jena D-07743, Germany Department of Palliative Care, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
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Maarrawi J, Mertens P, Peyron R, Garcia-Larrea L, Sindou M. Functional exploration for neuropathic pain. Adv Tech Stand Neurosurg 2011:25-63. [PMID: 21997740 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-7091-0673-0_2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
Neuropathic pain (NP) may become refractory to conservative medical management, necessitating neurosurgical procedures in carefully selected cases. In this context, the functional neurosurgeon must have suitable knowledge of the disease he or she intends to treat, especially its pathophysiology. This latter factor has been studied thanks to advances in the functional exploration of NP, which will be detailed in this review. The study of the flexion reflex is a useful tool for clinical and pharmacological pain assessment and for exploring the mechanisms of pain at multiple levels. The main use of evoked potentials is to confirm clinical, or detect subclinical, dysfunction in peripheral and central somato-sensory pain pathways. LEP and SEP techniques are especially useful when used in combination, allowing the exploration of both pain and somato-sensory pathways. PET scans and fMRI documented rCBF increases to noxious stimuli. In patients with chronic NP, a decreased resting rCBF is observed in the contralateral thalamus, which may be reversed using analgesic procedures. Abnormal pain evoked by innocuous stimuli (allodynia) has been associated with amplification of the thalamic, insular and SII responses, concomitant to a paradoxical CBF decrease in ACC. Multiple PET studies showed that endogenous opioid secretion is very likely to occur as a reaction to pain. In addition, brain opioid receptors (OR) remain relatively untouched in peripheral NP, while a loss of ORs is most likely to occur in central NP, within the medial nociceptive pathways. PET receptor studies have also proved that antalgic Motor Cortex Stimulation (MCS), indicated in severe refractory NP, induces endogenous opioid secretion in key areas of the endogenous opioid system, which may explain one of the mechanisms of action of this procedure, since the secretion is proportional to the analgesic effect.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Maarrawi
- (Faculty of Medicine) and Hôtel-Dieu de France Hospital (Department of Neurosurgery), St Joseph University, Beirut, Lebanon
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Chao CC, Tseng MT, Lin YJ, Yang WS, Hsieh SC, Lin YH, Chiu MJ, Chang YC, Hsieh ST. Pathophysiology of neuropathic pain in type 2 diabetes: skin denervation and contact heat-evoked potentials. Diabetes Care 2010; 33:2654-9. [PMID: 20841612 PMCID: PMC2992207 DOI: 10.2337/dc10-1135] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Neuropathic pain due to small-fiber sensory neuropathy in type 2 diabetes can be diagnosed by skin biopsy with quantification of intra-epidermal nerve fiber (IENF) density. There is, however, a lack of noninvasive physiological assessment. Contact heat-evoked potential (CHEP) is a newly developed approach to record cerebral responses of Aδ fiber-mediated thermonociceptive stimuli. We investigated the diagnostic role of CHEP. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS From 2006 to 2009, there were 32 type 2 diabetic patients (20 males and 12 females, aged 51.63 ± 10.93 years) with skin denervation and neuropathic pain. CHEPs were recorded with heat stimulations at the distal leg, where skin biopsy was performed. RESULTS CHEP amplitude was reduced in patients compared with age- and sex-matched control subjects (14.8 ± 15.6 vs. 33.7 ± 10.1 μV, P < 0.001). Abnormal CHEP patterns (reduced amplitude or prolonged latency) were noted in 81.3% of these patients. The CHEP amplitude was the most significant parameter correlated with IENF density (P = 0.003) and pain perception to contact heat stimuli (P = 0.019) on multiple linear regression models. An excitability index was derived by calculating the ratio of the CHEP amplitude over the IENF density. This excitability index was higher in diabetic patients than in control subjects (P = 0.023), indicating enhanced brain activities in neuropathic pain. Among different neuropathic pain symptoms, the subgroup with evoked pain had higher CHEP amplitudes than the subgroup without evoked pain (P = 0.011). CONCLUSIONS CHEP offers a noninvasive approach to evaluate the degeneration of thermonociceptive nerves in diabetic neuropathy by providing physiological correlates of skin denervation and neuropathic pain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chi-Chao Chao
- Department of Neurology, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
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Mechanisms of neuropathic pain in patients with Charcot-Marie-Tooth 1 A: A laser-evoked potential study. Pain 2010; 149:379-385. [DOI: 10.1016/j.pain.2010.03.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2009] [Revised: 02/09/2010] [Accepted: 03/01/2010] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
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Abstract
After a description of the anatomical-functional organization of the human trigeminal system, this chapter discusses the diagnostic and therapeutic options for trigeminal neuralgia (TN). In about 15% of patients who present with the clinical picture of typical TN, this is secondary to a major neurological disease, i.e., benign tumors of the cerebellopontine angle or multiple sclerosis. Some clinical criteria that were used to distinguish between classic and symptomatic TN, such as age at onset, involvement of the ophthalmic division, and responsiveness to medical treatment, are no longer considered reliable. It is recommended that all patients undergo magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or trigeminal reflex recording. Carbamazepine (CBZ) and oxcarbazepine (OXC) are the first-choice medical treatments. Although other drugs may be effective, these are indicated when the patient cannot reach the therapeutic dosage of CBZ/OXC because of adverse events. Patients unresponsive to CBZ/OXC should be made aware of the available surgical interventions. Surgical procedures (including percutaneous lesions to the ganglion/root, microvascular decompression (MVD) in the posterior fossa, and gamma knife radiosurgery) are extremely efficacious with relatively few complications: each procedure has some advantage and disadvantage with respect to the other. Only MVD is a non-destructive procedure. This chapter also describes management of glossopharyngeal neuralgia, which is often misdiagnosed, and some other chronic pain conditions mediated by the trigeminal system, such as ophthalmic postherpetic neuralgia (PHN).
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Affiliation(s)
- G Cruccu
- Department of Neurological Sciences, La Sapienza University, Rome, Italy.
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Martínez-Salio A, Gómez De la Cámara A, Ribera Canudas MV, Montero Homs J, Blanco Tarrío E, Collado Cruz A, Ferrero Méndez A, Molet Teixidó J, Oteo-Alvaro A, Gálvez Mateos R, Zamorano Bayarri E, Peña Arrebola A, Pardo Fernández J. [Diagnosis and treatment of the neuropathic pain]. Med Clin (Barc) 2009; 133:629-36. [PMID: 19640552 DOI: 10.1016/j.medcli.2009.05.029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2009] [Accepted: 05/26/2009] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
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20
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Truini A, Galeotti F, Haanpaa M, Zucchi R, Albanesi A, Biasiotta A, Gatti A, Cruccu G. Pathophysiology of pain in postherpetic neuralgia: A clinical and neurophysiological study. Pain 2008; 140:405-410. [DOI: 10.1016/j.pain.2008.08.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 69] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2008] [Revised: 07/18/2008] [Accepted: 08/29/2008] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
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Vartiainen NV, Kirveskari E, Forss N. Central processing of tactile and nociceptive stimuli in complex regional pain syndrome. Clin Neurophysiol 2008; 119:2380-8. [DOI: 10.1016/j.clinph.2008.06.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2007] [Revised: 05/16/2008] [Accepted: 06/16/2008] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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Cruccu G, Aminoff MJ, Curio G, Guerit JM, Kakigi R, Mauguiere F, Rossini PM, Treede RD, Garcia-Larrea L. Recommendations for the clinical use of somatosensory-evoked potentials. Clin Neurophysiol 2008; 119:1705-1719. [PMID: 18486546 DOI: 10.1016/j.clinph.2008.03.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 437] [Impact Index Per Article: 27.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2007] [Revised: 03/20/2008] [Accepted: 03/20/2008] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
The International Federation of Clinical Neurophysiology (IFCN) is in the process of updating its Recommendations for clinical practice published in 1999. These new recommendations dedicated to somatosensory-evoked potentials (SEPs) update the methodological aspects and general clinical applications of standard SEPs, and introduce new sections dedicated to the anatomical-functional organization of the somatosensory system and to special clinical applications, such as intraoperative monitoring, recordings in the intensive care unit, pain-related evoked potentials, and trigeminal and pudendal SEPs. Standard SEPs have gained an established role in the health system, and the special clinical applications we describe here are drawing increasing interest. However, to prove clinically useful each of them requires a dedicated knowledge, both technical and pathophysiological. In this article we give technical advice, report normative values, and discuss clinical applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- G Cruccu
- Department of Neurological Sciences, La Sapienza University, viale Università 30, 00185 Rome, Italy.
| | - M J Aminoff
- Department of Neurology, School of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - G Curio
- Department of Neurology and Clinical Neurophysiology, Campus Benjamin Franklin, Charité - University Medicine Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - J M Guerit
- Neurology, Clinical Neurophysiology Unit, CHIREC, Brussels, Belgium
| | - R Kakigi
- Department of Integrative Physiology, National Institute for Physiological Sciences, Okazaki, Japan
| | - F Mauguiere
- Université de Lyon 1, Lyon, France; INSERM U879 - Central Integration of Pain Unit, Neurological Hospital Lyon, France
| | - P M Rossini
- Neurology, Università Campus Bio-Medico, Rome, Italy; IRCCS, S.Giovanni di Dio, Fatebenefratelli, Brescia, Italy
| | - R-D Treede
- Institute of Physiology and Pathophysiology, Johannes Gutenberg University, Mainz, Germany
| | - L Garcia-Larrea
- Université de Lyon 1, Lyon, France; INSERM U879 - Central Integration of Pain Unit, Neurological Hospital Lyon, France
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Granovsky Y, Granot M, Nir RR, Yarnitsky D. Objective Correlate of Subjective Pain Perception by Contact Heat-Evoked Potentials. THE JOURNAL OF PAIN 2008; 9:53-63. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jpain.2007.08.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 63] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2007] [Revised: 08/09/2007] [Accepted: 08/21/2007] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
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Use of the novel Contact Heat Evoked Potential Stimulator (CHEPS) for the assessment of small fibre neuropathy: correlations with skin flare responses and intra-epidermal nerve fibre counts. BMC Neurol 2007; 7:21. [PMID: 17683543 PMCID: PMC1959239 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2377-7-21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 114] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2007] [Accepted: 08/03/2007] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The Contact Heat Evoked Potential Stimulator (CHEPS) rapidly stimulates cutaneous small nerve fibres, and resulting evoked potentials can be recorded from the scalp. We have studied patients with symptoms of sensory neuropathy and controls using CHEPS, and validated the findings using other objective measures of small nerve fibres i.e. the histamine-induced skin flare response and intra-epidermal fibres (IEF), and also quantitative sensory testing (QST), a subjective measure. Methods In patients with symptoms of sensory neuropathy (n = 41) and healthy controls (n = 9) we performed clinical examination, QST (monofilament, vibration and thermal perception thresholds), nerve conduction studies, histamine-induced skin flares and CHEPS. Skin punch biopsies were immunostained using standard ABC immunoperoxidase for the nerve marker PGP 9.5 or the heat and capsaicin receptor TRPV1. Immunoreactive IEF were counted per length of tissue section and epidermal thickness recorded. Results Amplitudes of Aδ evoked potentials (μV) following face, arm or leg stimulation were reduced in patients (e.g. for the leg: mean ± SEM – controls 11.7 ± 1.95, patients 3.63 ± 0.85, p = 0.0032). Patients showed reduced leg skin flare responses, which correlated with Aδ amplitudes (rs = 0.40, p = 0.010). In patient leg skin biopsies, PGP 9.5- and TRPV1-immunoreactive IEF were reduced and correlated with Aδ amplitudes (PGP 9.5, rs = 0.51, p = 0.0006; TRPV1, rs = 0.48, p = 0.0012). Conclusion CHEPS appears a sensitive measure, with abnormalities observed in some symptomatic patients who did not have significant IEF loss and/or QST abnormalities. Some of the latter patients may have early small fibre dysfunction or ion channelopathy. CHEPS provides a clinically practical, non-invasive and objective measure, and can be a useful additional tool for the assessment of sensory small fibre neuropathy. Although further evaluation is required, the technique shows potential clinical utility to differentiate neuropathy from other chronic pain states, and provide a biomarker for analgesic development.
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Geha PY, Baliki MN, Chialvo DR, Harden RN, Paice JA, Apkarian AV. Brain activity for spontaneous pain of postherpetic neuralgia and its modulation by lidocaine patch therapy. Pain 2006; 128:88-100. [PMID: 17067740 DOI: 10.1016/j.pain.2006.09.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 138] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2006] [Revised: 08/04/2006] [Accepted: 09/05/2006] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Postherpetic neuralgia (PHN) is a debilitating chronic pain condition, yet there is a lack of knowledge regarding underlying brain activity. Here we identify brain regions involved in spontaneous pain of PHN (n=11) and determine its modulation with Lidoderm therapy (patches of 5% lidocaine applied to the PHN affected body part). Continuous ratings of fluctuations of spontaneous pain during fMRI were contrasted to ratings of fluctuations of a bar observed during scanning, at three sessions: (1) pre-treatment baseline, (2) after 6h of Lidoderm treatment, and (3) after 2 weeks of Lidoderm use. Overall brain activity for spontaneous pain of PHN involved affective and sensory-discriminative areas: thalamus, primary and secondary somatosensory, insula and anterior cingulate cortices, as well as areas involved in emotion, hedonics, reward, and punishment: ventral striatum, amygdala, orbital frontal cortex, and ventral tegmental area. Generally, these activations decreased at sessions 2 and 3, except right anterior insular activity which increased with treatment. The sensory and affective activations only responded to the short-term treatment (6h of Lidoderm); while the ventral striatum and amygdala (reward-related regions) decreased mainly with longer-term treatment (2 weeks of Lidoderm). Pain properties: average magnitude of spontaneous pain, and responses on Neuropathic Pain Scale (NPS), decreased with treatment. The ventral striatal and amygdala activity best reflected changes in NPS, which was modulated only with longer-term treatment. The results show a specific brain activity pattern for PHN spontaneous pain, and implicate areas involved in emotions and reward as best reflecting changes in pain with treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- P Y Geha
- Department of Physiology, Northwestern University, Feinberg School of Medicine, 303 East Chicago Ave, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
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Abstract
BACKGROUND It has been found difficult to stimulate the primary C-fibre afferents separately from those of Adelta fibres. A necessary and sufficient condition for the investigation of the C-fibre system is the selective stimulation of C fibres without activation of Adelta fibres. The stimulation of tiny skin areas allows such a selective activation of C fibres. METHODS AND RESULTS The main aspects of the method for stimulation of tiny skin areas as well as some results obtained by this method are reported here. The application of this method is compared with applications of other methods that allow an investigation of central processing of human C-fibre input. CONCLUSION The stimulation of tiny skin areas represents a simple method for selective stimulation of C fibres.
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Affiliation(s)
- T Weiss
- Institut für Biologische und Klinische Psychologie, Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena.
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27
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Garcia-Larrea L. Chapter 30 Evoked potentials in the assessment of pain. HANDBOOK OF CLINICAL NEUROLOGY 2006; 81:439-XI. [PMID: 18808852 DOI: 10.1016/s0072-9752(06)80034-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
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Chapter 13 Neuropathic facial pain. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2006. [DOI: 10.1016/s1567-424x(09)70066-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register]
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Cruccu G, Biasiotta A, Galeotti F, Iannetti GD, Innocenti P, Romaniello A, Truini A. Chapter 14 Diagnosis of trigeminal neuralgia: a new appraisal based on clinical and neurophysiological findings. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2006; 58:171-86. [PMID: 16623330 DOI: 10.1016/s1567-424x(09)70067-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/08/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- G Cruccu
- Department of Neurological Sciences, "La Sapienza" University, 00185 Rome, Italy.
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30
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Apkarian AV, Bushnell MC, Treede RD, Zubieta JK. Human brain mechanisms of pain perception and regulation in health and disease. Eur J Pain 2005; 9:463-84. [PMID: 15979027 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejpain.2004.11.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2084] [Impact Index Per Article: 109.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2004] [Accepted: 11/02/2004] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
CONTEXT The perception of pain due to an acute injury or in clinical pain states undergoes substantial processing at supraspinal levels. Supraspinal, brain mechanisms are increasingly recognized as playing a major role in the representation and modulation of pain experience. These neural mechanisms may then contribute to interindividual variations and disabilities associated with chronic pain conditions. OBJECTIVE To systematically review the literature regarding how activity in diverse brain regions creates and modulates the experience of acute and chronic pain states, emphasizing the contribution of various imaging techniques to emerging concepts. DATA SOURCES MEDLINE and PRE-MEDLINE searches were performed to identify all English-language articles that examine human brain activity during pain, using hemodynamic (PET, fMRI), neuroelectrical (EEG, MEG) and neurochemical methods (MRS, receptor binding and neurotransmitter modulation), from January 1, 1988 to March 1, 2003. Additional studies were identified through bibliographies. STUDY SELECTION Studies were selected based on consensus across all four authors. The criteria included well-designed experimental procedures, as well as landmark studies that have significantly advanced the field. DATA SYNTHESIS Sixty-eight hemodynamic studies of experimental pain in normal subjects, 30 in clinical pain conditions, and 30 using neuroelectrical methods met selection criteria and were used in a meta-analysis. Another 24 articles were identified where brain neurochemistry of pain was examined. Technical issues that may explain differences between studies across laboratories are expounded. The evidence for and the respective incidences of brain areas constituting the brain network for acute pain are presented. The main components of this network are: primary and secondary somatosensory, insular, anterior cingulate, and prefrontal cortices (S1, S2, IC, ACC, PFC) and thalamus (Th). Evidence for somatotopic organization, based on 10 studies, and psychological modulation, based on 20 studies, is discussed, as well as the temporal sequence of the afferent volley to the cortex, based on neuroelectrical studies. A meta-analysis highlights important methodological differences in identifying the brain network underlying acute pain perception. It also shows that the brain network for acute pain perception in normal subjects is at least partially distinct from that seen in chronic clinical pain conditions and that chronic pain engages brain regions critical for cognitive/emotional assessments, implying that this component of pain may be a distinctive feature between chronic and acute pain. The neurochemical studies highlight the role of opiate and catecholamine transmitters and receptors in pain states, and in the modulation of pain with environmental and genetic influences. CONCLUSIONS The nociceptive system is now recognized as a sensory system in its own right, from primary afferents to multiple brain areas. Pain experience is strongly modulated by interactions of ascending and descending pathways. Understanding these modulatory mechanisms in health and in disease is critical for developing fully effective therapies for the treatment of clinical pain conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Vania Apkarian
- Department of Physiology, Northwestern University Medical School, 303 E. Chicago Avenue, Ward 5-003, Chicago, IL 60611, USA.
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Truini A, Galeotti F, Romaniello A, Virtuoso M, Iannetti GD, Cruccu G. Laser-evoked potentials: normative values. Clin Neurophysiol 2005; 116:821-6. [PMID: 15792891 DOI: 10.1016/j.clinph.2004.10.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 109] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2004] [Revised: 09/10/2004] [Accepted: 10/14/2004] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Laser-evoked potentials (LEPs) currently represent the most reliable and widely agreed method of investigating the A delta-fibre pathways. Many studies dealt with the usefulness of LEPs in peripheral and central nervous system diseases. We aimed at gaining normative values for LEP data. METHODS Using a CO2 laser stimulator we recorded LEPs after face, hand, and foot stimulation in 100 normal subjects. We measured the perceptive threshold, latency and amplitude of the main vertex components, and their side-to-side differences. We also studied the correlations between LEP data and age and body height, as well as gender differences. RESULTS Laser perceptive threshold increased and LEP amplitude decreased from face to foot (P<0.0001). The latency of hand and foot-LEPs correlated significantly with body height (P<0.0001). The amplitude, though not the latency, correlated with age (P<0.0001). LEP data did not significantly differ between genders (P>0.1). CONCLUSIONS This study provides normative values for the main LEP data and their absolute and side-to-side limits, highlighting the physiological differences related to, body height, age, gender and stimulation site. SIGNIFICANCE Our data may help to improve the clinical reliability of LEPs as a diagnostic tool.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Truini
- Department of Neurological Sciences, La Sapienza University, Viale Università30, 00185 Rome, Italy
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Kakigi R, Inui K, Tamura Y. Electrophysiological studies on human pain perception. Clin Neurophysiol 2005; 116:743-63. [PMID: 15792883 DOI: 10.1016/j.clinph.2004.11.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 90] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2004] [Revised: 11/08/2004] [Accepted: 11/09/2004] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE We reviewed the recent progress in electrophysiological studies using electroencephalography (EEG), magnetoencephalography (MEG) and repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) on human pain perception. METHODS For recording activities following A delta fiber stimulation relating to first pain, several kinds of lasers such as CO2, Tm:YAG and argon lasers are now widely used. The activity is frequently termed laser evoked potential (LEP), and we reviewed previous basic and clinical reports on LEP. We also introduced our new method, epidermal stimulation (ES), which is useful for recording brain activities by the signals ascending through A delta fibers. For recording activities following C fiber stimulation relating to second pain, several methods have been used but weak CO2 laser stimuli applied to tiny areas of the skin were recently used. RESULTS EEG and MEG findings following C fiber stimulation were similar to those following A delta fiber stimulation except for a longer latency. Finally, we reviewed the effect of rTMS on acute pain perception. rTMS alleviated acute pain induced by intracutaneous injection of capsaicin, which activated C fibers, but it enhanced acute pain induced by laser stimulation, which activated A delta fibers. CONCLUSIONS One promising approach in the near future is to analyze the change of a frequency band. This method will probably be used for evaluation of continuous tonic pain such as cancer pain, which evoked response studies cannot evaluate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryusuke Kakigi
- Department of Integrative Physiology, National Institute for Physiological Sciences, Okazaki 444-8585, Japan.
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Forss N, Raij TT, Seppä M, Hari R. Common cortical network for first and second pain. Neuroimage 2005; 24:132-42. [PMID: 15588604 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2004.09.032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 72] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2004] [Revised: 09/10/2004] [Accepted: 09/21/2004] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
We measured, with whole-scalp magnetoencephalography, evoked fields from 10 healthy subjects to 1-ms thulium-laser stimuli that selectively activated nociceptive nerve fibers. The stimuli were delivered to the dorsum of the subject's left hand. The earliest cortical responses peaked at 165 +/- 7 ms, agreeing with the conduction velocity of Adelta-fibers. To stimulate unmyelinated C-fibers, we modified the method of Bragard et al. [Bragard, D., Chen, A.C., Plaghki, L., 1996. Direct isolation of ultra-late (C-fibre) evoked brain potentials by CO2 laser stimulation of tiny cutaneous surface areas in man. Neurosci. Lett. 209, 81-84], by decreasing the total energy of the laser beam and by restricting the size of the stimulated skin area to 0.2-0.3 mm2. The earliest cortical responses to these stimuli peaked at 811 +/- 14 ms. Bilateral activation of the SII cortices was detected in all 10 subjects to Adelta and in 8 subjects to C stimuli, emphasizing the importance of the SII cortex in processing of pain. Additional activation was observed in the posterior parietal cortex (PPC), probably related to sensorimotor coordination targeted to produce precise motor acts that reduce or prevent the pain; the PPC activation may have been accentuated by the required continuous evaluation of the perceived pain. In contrast to some earlier studies, we did not observe activation of the primary somatosensory cortex (SI). Additional activations to both types of stimuli were detected in the cingulate cortex (three subjects) and in the bilateral insular cortex (two subjects). These results implicate that the nociceptive inputs mediated by the Adelta- and C-fibers are processed in a common cortical network in different time windows. Reliable temporospatial characterization of cortical responses to first and second pain offers a unique tool for basic and clinical neuroscience to study the two distinctive pain fiber systems at cortical level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nina Forss
- Brain Research Unit, Low Temperature Laboratory, Helsinki University of Technology, FIN-02015 HUT, Espoo, Finland.
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Truini A, Romaniello A, Galeotti F, Iannetti GD, Cruccu G. Laser evoked potentials for assessing sensory neuropathy in human patients. Neurosci Lett 2004; 361:25-8. [PMID: 15135884 DOI: 10.1016/j.neulet.2003.12.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Sensory neuropathy usually impairs tactile sensations related to large myelinated afferents (Abeta) as well as thermal-pain sense related to small myelinated (Adelta) and unmyelinated (C) afferents. By selectively affecting large or small fibres, some sensory neuropathies may also provoke a dissociated sensory loss. Standard nerve conduction studies and somatosensory evoked potentials assess Abeta-fibre function only. Laser pulses selectively excite free nerve endings in the superficial skin layers and evoke Adelta-related brain potentials (LEPs). From earlier studies and new cases we collected data on 270 patients with sensory neuropathy. LEPs often disclosed subclinical dysfunction of Adelta fibres and proved a sensitive and reliable diagnostic tool for assessing small-fibre function in sensory neuropathy.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Truini
- Department of Neurological Sciences, University 'La Sapienza', Viale Università 30, 00185 Rome, Italy
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Cruccu G, Anand P, Attal N, Garcia-Larrea L, Haanpää M, Jørum E, Serra J, Jensen TS. EFNS guidelines on neuropathic pain assessment. Eur J Neurol 2004; 11:153-62. [PMID: 15009162 DOI: 10.1111/j.1468-1331.2004.00791.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 385] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
In September 2001, a Task Force was set up under the auspices of the European Federation of Neurological Societies with the aim of evaluating the existing evidence about the methods of assessing neuropathic pain and its treatments. This review led to the development of guidelines to be used in the management of patients with neuropathic pain. In the clinical setting a neurological examination that includes an accurate sensory examination is often sufficient to reach a diagnosis. Nerve conduction studies and somatosensory-evoked potentials, which do not assess small fibre function, may demonstrate and localize a peripheral or central nervous lesion. A quantitative assessment of the nociceptive pathways is provided by quantitative sensory testing and laser-evoked potentials. To evaluate treatment efficacy in a patient and in controlled trials, the simplest psychometric scales and quality of life measures are probably the best methods. A laboratory measure of pain that by-passes the subjective report, and thus cognitive influences, is a hopeful aim for the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- G Cruccu
- EFNS Panel on Neuropathic Pain Department of Neurological Sciences, La Sapienza University, Rome, Italy.
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Abstract
In contrast to the function of the visual or auditory pathways which are electrophysiologically accessible by visual or auditory evoked potentials, the somatosensory pathway cannot be investigated as a whole by conventional somatosensory evoked potentials (SEP), because these only reflect function of large fibers, dorsal columns, medial lemniscus and their thalamo-cortical projections mediating sensations like touch and vibration. The other half of the somatosensory system, signaling temperature and pain perception, uses a different set of afferents and different central pathways, the function of which is accessible by laser-evoked potentials (LEPs). LEP can document lesions of the spinothalamic tract and (lateral) brainstem and of thalamo-cortical projections conveying thermo-nociceptive signals. In the peripheral nerve, LEP can help distinguish between large and small fiber neuropathies. The rapid heating of the skin by infrared laser pulses can easily be applied to non-glabrous skin in any dermatome. In recent years, many clinical studies have demonstrated that LEP can supply evidence for establishing clinical diagnoses when deficits of the nociceptive system are present. This review outlines principles and recording techniques for LEP in patients and compiles typical LEP findings in patients with lesions due to different diseases at various levels of the nociceptive pathways. Limitations for the use of LEP are pointed out, too, like the uncertainty of lesion location along these pathways and the fact that LEP can reliably show correlates of reduced nociceptive function but only rarely of enhanced transmission (like in hyperalgesia).
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Affiliation(s)
- Rolf-Detlef Treede
- Institute of Physiology and Pathophysiology, Johannes Gutenberg University, Saarstr. 21, 55099 Mainz, Germany.
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Cruccu G, García-Larrea L. Chapter 12 Clinical utility of pain - laser evoked potentials. ADVANCES IN CLINICAL NEUROPHYSIOLOGY, PROCEEDINGS OF THE 27TH INTERNATIONAL CONGRESS OF CLINICAL NEUROPHYSIOLOGY, AAEM 50TH ANNIVERSARY AND 57TH ANNUAL MEETING OF THE ACNS JOINT MEETING 2004; 57:101-10. [PMID: 16106611 DOI: 10.1016/s1567-424x(09)70348-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/10/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- G Cruccu
- Department of Neurological Sciences, La Sapienza University, Viale Università 20, 00185 Rome, Italy.
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Abstract
The majority of the studies on laser evoked potentials (LEPs) have been focused on hand and foot stimulations and only lately on the trigeminal system. Because of a high receptor density in the facial skin and the very short conduction distance, LEP recordings after trigeminal stimulation are easier and quicker than those after stimulation of the limb extremities. Laser pulses with a stimulus intensity close to perception threshold can evoke well-defined LEPs. Few trials are sufficient to yield stable and reproducible averages. Even ultralate LEPs related to the C-fibre input are comparatively easily obtained from the trigeminal territory. The brain generators of the main LEP waves are probably very close for the trigeminal and limb stimulations. Trigeminal LEPs have been found absent or delayed in patients with trigeminal neuralgia, trigeminal neuropathies, posterior fossa tumors, and brainstem infarctions or demyelinating plaques. Conversely, trigeminal LEPs appear to be enhanced in patients with migraine. High-intensity pulses directed to any trigeminal division also elicit reflex responses: a blink-like reflex in the orbicularis oculi and a single silent period in the contracting masseter muscle. The availability of a neurophysiological method of assessing function of the trigeminal nociceptive pathways reaching both the cerebral cortex and the brainstem reflex circuits, has provided new opportunities for investigating the pathophysiology of orofacial pain syndromes.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Romaniello
- Department of Neurological Sciences, University La Sapienza, Viale Università 30, 00185 Rome, Italy
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