Narrative Review of the Complex Interaction between Pain and Trauma in Children: A Focus on Biological Memory, Preclinical Data, and Epigenetic Processes

Pain mechanisms in the transgender individual: a review

Specific Aim

Provide an overview of the literature addressing major areas pertinent to pain in transgender persons and to identify areas of primary relevance for future research.

Methods

A team of scholars that have previously published on different areas of related research met periodically though zoom conferencing between April 2021 and February 2023 to discuss relevant literature with the goal of providing an overview on the incidence, phenotype, and mechanisms of pain in transgender patients. Review sections were written after gathering information from systematic literature searches of published or publicly available electronic literature to be compiled for publication as part of a topical series on gender and pain in the Frontiers in Pain Research.

Results

While transgender individuals represent a significant and increasingly visible component of the population, many researchers and clinicians are not well informed about the diversity in gender identity, physiology, hormonal status, and gender-affirming medical procedures utilized by transgender and other gender diverse patients. Transgender and cisgender people present with many of the same medical concerns, but research and treatment of these medical needs must reflect an appreciation of how differences in sex, gender, gender-affirming medical procedures, and minoritized status impact pain.

Conclusions

While significant advances have occurred in our appreciation of pain, the review indicates the need to support more targeted research on treatment and prevention of pain in transgender individuals. This is particularly relevant both for gender-affirming medical interventions and related medical care. Of particular importance is the need for large long-term follow-up studies to ascertain best practices for such procedures. A multi-disciplinary approach with personalized interventions is of particular importance to move forward.

How Do We Treat Children with Anterior Cutaneous Nerve Entrapment Syndrome and Is the Biopsychosocial Model Also Being Applied? A Scoping Review

Background

Evidence-based guidelines for managing anterior cutaneous nerve entrapment syndrome (ACNES) in children are absent. The primary aim of this review was to scrutinize the evidence supporting currently used treatment interventions. In accordance with the World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines for managing chronic pain in children, these patients and their families and caregivers should be treated within the context of the biopsychosocial model; pain should not be treated purely as a biomedical problem. Therefore, our second aim was to evaluate whether these interventions are applied within the context of the biopsychosocial model, utilizing an inter- or multidisciplinary approach.

Materials and Methods

A scoping review of the literature was conducted to explore treatment strategies for ACNES in children. To ensure a comprehensive overview of published literature on this topic, the search was not restricted based on study type. Two reviewers independently assessed titles and abstracts. After excluding records unrelated to children, full texts were screened for inclusion. Any discrepancies in judgement were resolved through discussion with a third reviewer.

Results

Out of 35 relevant titles, 22 were included in this review. Only 4 articles provided information on long-term outcomes. The overall quality of the review was deemed low. The majority of reports did not address treatment or education within the psychological and social domains. A structural qualitative analysis was not feasible due to the substantial heterogeneity of the data.

Conclusion

The evidence supporting current treatment strategies in children with ACNES is of low quality. More research is needed to establish an evidence-based treatment algorithm for patients with this challenging pain problem. In line with the WHO recommendation, greater emphasis should be placed on a biopsychosocial approach. The ultimate goal should be the development of a generic treatment algorithm outlining an approach to ACNES applicable to all professionals involved.