Highly-selective µ-opioid receptor antagonism does not block L-DOPA-induced dyskinesia in a rodent model.

Objectives: Dopamine-replacement utilizing L-DOPA is still the mainstay treatment for Parkinson's disease (PD), but often leads to development of L-DOPA-induced dyskinesia (LID), which can be as debilitating as the motor deficits. There is currently no satisfactory pharmacological adjunct therapy. The endogenous opioid peptides enkephalin and dynorphin are important co-transmitters in the direct and indirect striatofugal pathways and have been implicated in genesis and expression of LID.

Are urgent care centers a viable venue for recruitment in clinical trials?

Clinical trials are extremely difficult to undertake and recruiting patients for these trials is one of the most significant challenges. This brief report sought to determine the suitability of an urgent care center as a research recruitment site by assessing its patients' views on participating in clinical trials. One thousand and two subjects were surveyed over a 45-day period; 9.

Evaluation of cutaneous allodynia following induction of cortical spreading depression in freely moving rats.

Background: Cortical spreading depression (CSD) is a wave of depolarization followed by depression of bioelectrical activity that slowly propagates through the cortex. CSD is believed to be the underlying mechanism of aura in migraine; however, whether CSD can elicit pain associated with migraine headache is unclear.

Methods: Awake, freely moving rats were monitored for both CSD events and behavioral responses resulting from dural-cortical pinprick and/or KCl injection to the occipital cortex.