Infectious meningitis. Why are the leptomeninges preferentially involved? Electron microscopic insights.

In infectious meningitis, pathogens preferentially attack the leptomeninges (pia mater and arachnoid) rather than the pachymeninges (dura mater). This study aims to provide ultra-anatomical insights from our extensive collection of electron microscopy images and propose mechanisms, highlighting structures that favor the introduction, adherence, colonization, and proliferation of microorganisms leading to spinal meningitis. Over several years, we analyzed an extensive collection of transmission and scanning electron microscopy images of human spinal meninges captured in our laboratories.

Identification of spread after deliberate intraneural injection in five mammalian species.

Introduction: This research endeavors to investigate the phenomenon of intraneural spread across distinct locations: subcircumneurium, extrafascicular intraneural, intrafascicular intraneural, and intraperineurium after deliberate intraneural injections across five mammalian species. The study also aims to propose determinants influencing this spread. Furthermore, the investigation strives to ascertain the optimal animal species and needle configuration for extrapolating intraneural injection outcomes to human contexts.

Feasibility of a brief mindfulness-based program for burnout in pain healthcare professionals.

Introduction: Stress inherent to health care, which is characterized by work overload and shortage of specialized staff, is associated with decreased quality of life and suboptimal patient care. Mindfulness-based programs have proved to be effective in reducing stress in healthcare providers. This study aims to assess the feasibility of an 8-week mindfulness program to reduce the burnout levels of the staff of a pain clinic in a tertiary public hospital.

Visceral versus somatic pain: an educational review of anatomy and clinical implications.

Somatic and visceral nociceptive signals travel via different pathways to reach the spinal cord. Additionally, signals regulating visceral blood flow and gastrointestinal tract (GIT) motility travel via efferent sympathetic nerves. To offer optimal pain relief and increase GIT motility and blood flow, we should interfere with all these pathways.

Telemonitoring in Chronic Pain Management Using Smartphone Apps: A Randomized Controlled Trial Comparing Usual Assessment against App-Based Monitoring with and without Clinical Alarms.

Background: The usefulness of mHealth in helping to target face-to-face interventions for chronic pain more effectively remains unclear. In the present study, we aim to test whether the Pain Monitor mobile phone application (app) is well accepted by clinicians, and can help improve existent medical treatments for patients with chronic musculoskeletal pain. Regarding this last goal, we compared three treatment conditions, namely usual treatment, usual treatment with an app without alarms and usual treatment with an app with alarms.

A novel marker for identifying and studying the membranes, barriers, and compartments surrounding peripheral nerves microscopically.

Recent anatomical discoveries indicate the importance of identifying membranes and compartments surrounding peripheral nerves into which local anesthetic agents can be injected and continuous nerve block catheters placed during regional anesthetic procedures. However, current markers used in anatomical studies have multiple drawbacks, specifically extravasation into noninjected locations, which can result in inadequate treatment. We studied a readily-available new marker, heparinized blood solution (HBS), which is easy to identify by microscopy and can remain in the nerve compartment into which it is deposited without distorting the tissue.

Microanatomical Nerve Architecture of 6 Mammalian Species: Is Trans-Species Translational Anatomic Extrapolation Valid?

Background And Objectives: Various animal models have historically been used to study iatrogenic nerve injury during performance of conduction nerve blocks. Our aims were to compare the microstructures of nerves in commonly used species to those of humans and to explore the validity of the extrapolating these findings to humans.

Methods: High-resolution, light-microscopic images were obtained from cross sections of sciatic nerves at their bifurcation from fresh rat, rabbit, pig, sheep, dog, and human cadavers.

Improving pain treatment with a smartphone app: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial.

Background: Chronic pain has become a major health problem across the world, especially in older adults. Unfortunately, the effectiveness of medical interventions is modest. Some have argued that assessment strategies should be improved if the impact of medical interventions is to be improved.

An ultrasound-guided technique for axillary brachial plexus nerve block in rabbits.

Regional anesthesia techniques, such as nerve blocks, are routinely used in humans and can contribute to multimodal approaches to pain management in research animals. Ultrasound guidance is an emerging aspect of regional anesthesia that has the potential to optimize local delivery and distribution of anesthetic agents, thereby reducing the amounts of these agents that must be administered. The authors developed an ultrasound-guided technique for effective block of the axillary brachial plexus in rabbits.