Alpha and Theta Oscillations Associated With Behavioral Phenotypes of Pain-Attention Interaction.

Purpose: Pain is inherently salient and so draws our attention in addition to impacting performance on attention-demanding tasks. Individual variability in pain-attention interactions can be assessed by two kinds of behavioral phenotypes that quantify how individuals prioritize pain versus attentional needs. The intrinsic attention to pain (IAP) measure quantifies the degree to which a person attends to pain (high-IAP) or mind-wanders away from pain (low-IAP).

Sex-Specific White Matter Abnormalities Across the Dynamic Pain Connectome in Neuropathic Pain: A Fixel-Based Analysis Study.

A fundamental issue in neuroscience is a lack of understanding regarding the relationship between brain function and the white matter architecture that supports it. Individuals with chronic neuropathic pain (NP) exhibit functional abnormalities throughout brain networks collectively termed the "dynamic pain connectome" (DPC), including the default mode network (DMN), salience network, and ascending nociceptive and descending pain modulation systems. These functional abnormalities are often observed in a sex-dependent fashion.

Probing the Histamine H Receptor Binding Site to Explore Ligand Binding Kinetics.

Analysis of structure-kinetic relationships (SKR) can contribute to an improved understanding of receptor-ligand interactions. Here, fragment (4-(2-benzylphenoxy)-1-methylpiperidine) was used in different fragment growing approaches to mimic the putative binding mode of the long residence time (RT) ligands olopatadine, acrivastine, and levocetirizine at the histamine H receptor (HR). SKR analyses reveal that introduction of a carboxylic acid moiety can increase RT at HR up to 11-fold.

"Discharge doesn't mean the end": Exploring success in discharge to community self-management for young adults living with chronic pain: A qualitative study.

Background: Living with chronic pain as a young adult (YA) can impact the physical, emotional, social, cognitive, and role function domains of life. Once YAs receive care for their specialist chronic pain care they are expected to self-navigate a complex health care system to transition to community-based care (i.e.

Individual differences in conditioned pain modulation are associated with functional connectivity within the descending antinociceptive pathway.

The perception of pain and ability to cope with it varies widely amongst people, which in part could be due to the presence of inhibitory (antinociceptive) or facilitatory (pronociceptive) effects in conditioned pain modulation (CPM). This study examined whether individual differences in CPM reflect functional connectivity (FC) strengths within nodes of the descending antinociceptive pathway (DAP). A heat-based CPM paradigm and resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) were used to test the hypothesis that an individual's capacity to exhibit inhibitory CPM (changes in test stimuli [TS] pain due to a conditioning stimulus [CS]) reflects FC of the subgenual anterior cingulate cortex (sgACC), periaqueductal gray (PAG), and rostral ventromedial medulla (RVM).

Actively Waiting: Feasibility and Acceptability of a Virtual Self-Management Program Designed to Empower People With Chronic Pain Waiting for Interprofessional Care.

Unlabelled: Chronic pain affects 1.9 billion people worldwide and wait times for interprofessional pain management programs can be extensive. The existing wait times provide an opportunity to introduce internet-based interventions that enhance self-management ability.

Integration of patient-oriented research principles in health institutions: a scoping review protocol.

Introduction: In 2011, the Canadian Institutes of Health Research launched a Strategy for Patient-Oriented Research (POR) for healthcare and academic institutions to increase patient participation in health research. POR considers patients and caregivers as partners with scientific investigators, healthcare professionals and administrative decision-makers. As POR becomes a standard worldwide, the how-to, practical aspects of POR integration in healthcare institutions remain uncharted territory.

Air-Stable Thin Films of Tin Halide Perovskite Nanocrystals by Polymers and AlO Encapsulation.

Tin halide perovskites are promising for optoelectronics, although their sensitivity to ambient conditions due to Sn(II) oxidation presents a challenge. Encapsulation techniques can mitigate degradation and facilitate advanced studies of the intrinsic properties. To study and improve the ambient stability of CsSnBr and CsSnI nanocrystal (NC) thin films, we explored various encapsulation methods: organic, inorganic, and hybrid.

Acceptability of the power over pain portal among patients awaiting tertiary care consultation: A qualitative study of patients' perceptions.

Objective: Chronic pain affects approximately 7.6 million Canadians and access to care remains an issue. The Power Over Pain (POP) Portal offers immediate access to evidence-based resources ranging from low- (e.

A high-affinity, cis-on photoswitchable beta blocker to optically control β-adrenergic receptors in vitro and in vivo.

This study introduces (S)-Opto-prop-2, a second-generation photoswitchable ligand designed for precise modulation of β-adrenoceptor (βAR). Synthesised by incorporating an azobenzene moiety with propranolol, (S)-Opto-prop-2 exhibited a high PSS (photostationary state for cis isomer) percentage (∼90 %) and a favourable half-life (>10 days), facilitating diverse bioassay measurements. In vitro, the cis-isomer displayed substantially higher βAR binding affinity than the trans-isomer (1000-fold), making (S)-Opto-prop-2 one of the best photoswitchable GPCR (G protein-coupled receptor) ligands reported so far.

An examination of referrals declined for chronic pain care: There is increasing mental health complexity within care-seeking patients with chronic pain over time.

Background: Chronic pain is a complex disease that requires interprofessional care for effective management. Despite the need for multidisciplinary care, disease and health care inequities can prevent individuals from attaining adequate treatment. Factors such as mental health, cost, and distance to a health care center can contribute to health care accessibility inequality.

Multiplex Detection of Fluorescent Chemokine Binding to CXC Chemokine Receptors by NanoBRET.

NanoLuc-mediated bioluminescence resonance energy transfer (NanoBRET) has gained popularity for its ability to homogenously measure ligand binding to G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs), including the subfamily of chemokine receptors. These receptors, such as ACKR3, CXCR4, CXCR3, play a crucial role in the regulation of the immune system, are associated with inflammatory diseases and cancer, and are seen as promising drug targets. The aim of this study was to optimize NanoBRET-based ligand binding to NLuc-ACKR3 and NLuc-CXCR4 using different fluorescently labeled chemokine CXCL12 analogs and their use in a multiplex NanoBRET binding assay of two chemokine receptors at the same time.

Pretreatment Brain White Matter Integrity Associated With Neuropathic Pain Relief and Changes in Temporal Summation of Pain Following Ketamine.

Neuropathic pain (NP) is a prevalent condition often associated with heightened pain responsiveness suggestive of central sensitization. Neuroimaging biomarkers of treatment outcomes may help develop personalized treatment strategies, but white matter (WM) properties have been underexplored for this purpose. Here we assessed whether WM pathways of the default mode network (DMN: medial prefrontal cortex [mPFC], posterior cingulate cortex, and precuneus) and descending pain modulation system (periaqueductal gray [PAG]) are associated with ketamine analgesia and attenuated temporal summation of pain (TSP, reflecting central sensitization) in NP.

Pharmacological Characterization and Radiolabeling of VUF15485, a High-Affinity Small-Molecule Agonist for the Atypical Chemokine Receptor ACKR3.

Atypical chemokine receptor 3 (ACKR3), formerly referred to as CXCR7, is considered to be an interesting drug target. In this study, we report on the synthesis, pharmacological characterization and radiolabeling of VUF15485, a new ACKR3 small-molecule agonist, that will serve as an important new tool to study this -arrestin-biased chemokine receptor. VUF15485 binds with nanomolar affinity (pIC = 8.

Empowered management for pelvic pain: The experiences of women with persistent pelvic pain participating in an online self-directed self-management program while they wait for interprofessional care.

Background: Persistent pelvic pain is pain sensed in or around the pelvis and is often associated with negative cognitive, behavioral, sexual, and emotional consequences. The lack of interprofessional persistent pelvic pain management programs that address the complex interplay of biopsychosocial factors result in lengthy wait times and negative health outcomes. Limited access to evidence informed self-management educational resources contributes to poor coping strategies.

Resilience is associated with cortical gray matter of the antinociceptive pathway in people with chronic pain.

Resilience is an important personal characteristic that influences health and recovery. Previous studies of chronic pain suggest that highly resilient people may be more effective at modulating their pain. Since brain gray matter in the antinociceptive pathway has also been shown to be abnormal in people with chronic pain, we examined whether resilience is related to gray matter in regions of interest (ROIs) of the antinociceptive pathway (rostral and subgenual anterior cingulate cortex (rACC, sgACC), anterior insula (aINS), dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC)) normally and in people who are experiencing chronic pain.

NanoB to monitor interactions of ligands with membrane proteins by combining nanobodies and NanoBRET.

The therapeutic potential of ligands targeting disease-associated membrane proteins is predicted by ligand-receptor binding constants, which can be determined using NanoLuciferase (NanoLuc)-based bioluminescence resonance energy transfer (NanoBRET) methods. However, the broad applicability of these methods is hampered by the restricted availability of fluorescent probes. We describe the use of antibody fragments, like nanobodies, as universal building blocks for fluorescent probes for use in NanoBRET.

Can we characterize A-P/IAP behavioural phenotypes in people with chronic pain?

Two behavioural phenotypes in healthy people have been delineated based on their intrinsic attention to pain (IAP) and whether their reaction times (RT) during a cognitively-demanding task are slower (-type) or faster (A-type) during experimental pain. These behavioural phenotypes were not previously studied in chronic pain populations to avoid using experimental pain in a chronic pain context. Since pain rumination (PR) may serve as a supplement to IAP without needing noxious stimuli, we attempted to delineate A-P/IAP behavioural phenotypes in people with chronic pain and determined if PR can supplement IAP.

Experience-based design: Empowering individuals while they wait for interprofessional chronic pain care.

Objectives: Chronic pain is highly prevalent and a leading cause of disability. Long wait times for interprofessional care provide an opportunity to introduce web-based interventions that improve psychosocial function and patients' readiness and ability to manage their condition. Here we describe the process of partnering with people with lived experience (PWLE) to develop an online self-management program enhanced by motivational interviewing.

Carpal tunnel surgery dampens thalamocortical and normalizes corticocortical functional connectivity.

Carpal tunnel syndrome is the most common entrapment neuropathy and is associated with altered brain function and structure. However, little is understood of the central mechanisms associated with its pain, symptom presentation, and treatment-related resolution. This longitudinal study evaluated carpal tunnel syndrome-related alterations in brain network communication and relationships to behavioural signs of central sensitization before and after carpal tunnel release surgery.