Background: Preoperative exposure to opioids has recently shown to be associated with poor outcomes after elective major surgery, but little is known as to how pretreatment opioid use affects results of interventional back pain management.
Objective: We aimed to determine the effect of pretreatment opioid use on outcomes after interventional pain management procedures on patients with chronic back pain.
Study Design: A retrospective study.
Background: Insufficient understanding of the mechanisms of consciousness can make unconsciousness a diagnostic challenge, directly effecting the treatment and the outcome of the patient. Consciousness is a product of brainstem arousal (wakefulness, the level of consciousness) and cortical information integration (awareness, the contents of consciousness). The thalamus serves as a critical hub in the arousal pathway.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Although clinical applications such as emergency medicine and prehospital care could benefit from a fast-mounting electroencephalography (EEG) recording system, the lack of specifically designed equipment restricts the use of EEG in these environments.
Methods: This paper describes the design and testing of a six-channel emergency EEG (emEEG) system with a rapid preparation time intended for use in emergency medicine and prehospital care. The novel system comprises a quick-application cap, a device for recording and transmitting the EEG wirelessly to a computer, and custom software for displaying and streaming the data in real-time to a hospital.
Objective: The aim of the study was to investigate if changes in head repositioning accuracy (HRA), and standing balance could be evoked by unilateral facet nerve blockade (FNB) or spinal manipulative therapy (SMT).
Methods: This time series research study (n = 6) was chosen because of the viability of the experiment, sample characteristics, and small sample size. Cervical proprioceptive functions were assessed by exploring HRA and static posture by computerized posturography.
Objective: The objective of this study was to examine alteration in head repositioning accuracy (HRA), range of motion, and pain intensity in patients with chronic cervical pain syndrome without a history of cervical trauma.
Methods: The study was a prospective, randomized, controlled trial. Forty-one patients with chronic cervical pain were randomly assigned to either a control group or a chiropractic treatment group.
Cortical and spinal somatosensory evoked potentials (SEP) were recorded in healthy individuals following stimulation of digits I, III, and V with an intensity below discomfort level. Peak latency of the earliest cortical negativity (N1) was found to be the most consistent and easily measured parameter, whereas a spinal potential (Cv) was not elicited in all subjects. Descriptive statistics, Student's paired t-test as well as simple and multiple regression, were used for computer analysis of N1 and Cv peak latencies and central conduction time.
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