Neuroimaging of pleasantness and unpleasantness induced by thermal stimuli.

Functional brain imaging techniques provide unique insight into the process of human thermal regulation and its associated hedonics. Similar neuroimaging techniques have predominantly focused on the neural characterization of thermal response separately from hedonics. In this instance, there is a gap in the understanding of hedonics related to regional brain activations.

Neuroticism and pain catastrophizing aggravate response to pain in healthy adults: an experimental study.

Background: The aim of this study was to investigate the association between neuroticism, pain catastrophizing, and experimentally induced pain threshold and pain tolerance in a healthy adult sample from two regions of the country of Croatia: the island of Korcula and city of Split.

Methods: A total of 1,322 participants were enrolled from the Island of Korcula (n = 824) and the city of Split (n = 498). Participants completed a self-reported personality measure Eysenck Personality Questionnaire (EPQ) and pain catastrophizing questionnaire Pain Catastrophizing Scale (PCS), followed by a mechanical pain pressure threshold and tolerance test.

Risk factors associated with postoperative pain after ophthalmic surgery: a prospective study.

Background: Risk factors associated with postoperative pain intensity and duration, as well as consumption of analgesics after ophthalmic surgery are poorly understood.

Methods: A prospective study was conducted among adults (N=226) who underwent eye surgery at the University Hospital Split, Croatia. A day before the surgery, the patients filled out questionnaires assessing personality, anxiety, pain catastrophizing, sociodemographics and were given details about the procedure, anesthesia, and analgesia for each postoperative day.

Excitability of contralateral and ipsilateral projections of corticobulbar pathways recorded as corticobulbar motor evoked potentials of the cricothyroid muscles.

Objective: The objective of this study was to evaluate the excitability of contralateral and ipsilateral corticobulbar pathways, using the methodologies of navigated transcranial magnetic stimulation (nTMS) and transcranial electrical stimulation (TES).

Methods: In 11 healthy subjects, the primary motor cortex (M1) for laryngeal muscles was mapped with nTMS in both hemispheres and the corticobulbar motor evoked potentials (CoMEPs) were recorded from the right cricothyroid muscle. In 15 patients undergoing left craniotomy, CoMEPs were obtained from cricothyroid muscles bilaterally, using TES over C3/Cz and C4/Cz.

Dental fear and anxiety in older children: an association with parental dental anxiety and effective pain coping strategies.

An association between dental fear and anxiety (DFA) has been confirmed for children younger than 8 years, but this association in older children is less clear. The aim of this study was to fill this knowledge gap by studying DFA in older children and their parents with validated measures. This cross-sectional study, conducted at Community Health Centre Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina, included 114 children and their parents.

Behavioral changes following experimentally-induced acute myocardial infarction in rats.

Rats with experimentally-induced acute myocardial infarction (AMI) have proven to be a clinically relevant model for visceral pain. As there are no behavioral data available on rats in the postinfarction period, we aimed to identify specific pain-related behavioral changes following AMI to increase the validity of the model. AMI was induced by left coronary artery ligation and pain-related behavior was analyzed using the open field test (OFT) and elevated plus maze (EPM).

Reduced epidermal thickness, nerve degeneration and increased pain-related behavior in rats with diabetes type 1 and 2.

To examine the mechanisms contributing to pain genesis in diabetic neuropathy, we investigated epidermal thickness and number of intraepidermal nerve fibers in rat foot pad of the animal model of diabetes type 1 and type 2 in relation to pain-related behavior. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were used. Diabetes type 1 was induced with intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin (STZ) and diabetes type 2 was induced with a combination of STZ and high-fat diet.

Intrathecal inhibition of calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II in diabetic neuropathy adversely affects pain-related behavior.

Calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaMKII) is considered an important enzyme contributing to the pathogenesis of persistent pain. The aim of this study was to test whether intrathecal injection of CaMKII inhibitors may reduce pain-related behavior in diabetic rats. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were used.

Impact of extended course duration and stricter study organization on attrition and academic performance of medical students.

Aim: To assess whether extended medical school duration, block/modular structure of subjects, not allowing students to transfer exams into the higher course year, and curriculum implementation in line with the Bologna Accord are associated with lower attrition and better academic outcomes of medical students.

Methods: We retrospectively investigated curricula at the University of Split School of Medicine and academic outcomes of 2301 medical students during a 33-year period (1979-2011). The following data were obtained: grade point average (GPA) at the end of the studies, duration of studies, graduation on time, and whether the student graduated or not.

Pain catastrophizing changes during the menstrual cycle.

Pain catastrophizing is an important predictor of pain intensity and pain-related outcomes. Many studies have shown that the level of this phenomenon is higher in women compared to men. The aim of this study was to investigate whether there is a difference in pain catastrophizing in women during the different phases of their menstrual cycle and whether there is a difference in pain catastrophizing depending on the history of childbirth and dysmenorrhea.

Expression of calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II and pain-related behavior in rat models of type 1 and type 2 diabetes.

Background: Abnormalities in peripheral nerves and dorsal root ganglia are noticed in the early stage of experimentally provoked diabetic neuropathy. Enzyme calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaMKII) may have a modulating role in diabetic neuropathy because of its role in calcium homeostasis.

Methods: A model of type 1 diabetes mellitus (DM1) was induced with 55 mg/kg of the streptozotocin and for DM2 induction a combination of high-fat diet and low-dose streptozotocin (35 mg/kg) was used.

Adherence to pharmacological treatment of chronic nonmalignant pain in individuals aged 65 and older.

Background: Medication nonadherence is a frequent problem in the treatment of chronic conditions.

Objective: To study the adherence to pharmacological treatment of chronic nonmalignant pain, as well as factors and patient attitudes related to nonadherence in patients aged ≥65 years.

Methods: The cross-sectional study was conducted with a self-administered questionnaire among 100 patients aged ≥65 years by five family physicians at the Health Care Centre Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Sex differences in pain-related behavior and expression of calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II in dorsal root ganglia of rats with diabetes type 1 and type 2.

Sex differences in pain-related behavior and expression of calcium/calmodulin dependent protein kinase II (CaMKII) in dorsal root ganglia were studied in rat models of Diabetes mellitus type 1 (DM1) and type 2 (DM2). DM1 was induced with 55mg/kg streptozotocin, and DM2 with a combination of high-fat diet and 35mg/kg of streptozotocin. Pain-related behavior was analyzed using thermal and mechanical stimuli.

Physicians' attitudes about interprofessional treatment of chronic pain: family physicians are considered the most important collaborators.

Aims And Objectives: Interprofessional collaboration is the process in which different professional groups work together to positively impact health care. We aimed to explore physicians' attitudes toward interprofessional collaboration in the context of chronic pain management with the implication that if attitudes are not positive, appropriate interventions could be developed.

Design: A quantitative attitudes study.

Predictors of attrition and academic success of medical students: a 30-year retrospective study.

Aim: To determine attrition and predictors of academic success among medical students at University of Split, Croatia.

Methods: We analysed academic records of 2054 students enrolled during 1979-2008 period.

Results: We found that 26% (533/2054) of enrolled students did not graduate.

Dorsal root ganglion - a potential new therapeutic target for neuropathic pain.

A regional approach can protect our patients from often unacceptable adverse effects produced by systematically applied drugs. Regional therapeutic approaches, as well as interventions at the level of the peripheral nervous system and particularly the dorsal root ganglion (DRG), represent an alternative to the systemic application of therapeutic agents. This article provides an overview of DRG anatomical peculiarities, explains why the DRG is an important therapeutic target, and how animal models of targeted drug delivery can help us in the translation of basic research into clinical practice.

Parents' pain catastrophizing is related to pain catastrophizing of their adult children.

Background: Parents' pain behavior is associated with the way their children experience and express pain.

Purpose: We hypothesized that there is a positive association between levels of pain catastrophizing in parents and their adult children.

Method: Study included 285 participants, 100 patients, 85 spouses, and 100 adult children from 100 families.