Cold-evoked potentials in Fabry disease and polyneuropathy.

Background: Fabry disease (FD) causes cold-evoked pain and impaired cold perception through small fiber damage, which also occurs in polyneuropathies (PNP) of other origins. The integrity of thinly myelinated fibers and the spinothalamic tract is assessable by cold-evoked potentials (CEPs). In this study, we aimed to assess the clinical value of CEP by investigating its associations with pain, autonomic measures, sensory loss, and neuropathic signs.

The role of cytokines and chemokines in the maintenance of chronic pain-a pilot study.

Introduction: The immune system is believed to be important in the initiation and maintenance of chronic pain.

Objectives: The aim was to investigate whether patients with chronic painful polyneuropathy (PP) differ in cytokine profiles of serum and/or cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) compared with pain-free controls.

Methods: Thirty-nine patients (16 women and 23 men, mean age, 69.

The pandemic's effect on a patient cohort with painful polyneuropathy in 2020: A longitudinal study on pain, mood, and everyday life.

In the early phase of the COVID pandemic 2020, we demonstrated how patients with painful polyneuropathy, against our expectations, did not experience a deterioration of their neuropathic pain. We hypothesized that our assessed measures, that is, pain intensity and characteristics, emotional wellbeing, and everyday life, would deteriorate in the further course of the pandemic according to the phases of disaster management. Thus, the aim of our study was to investigate patients repeatedly under varying pandemic conditions from March until December 2020.

A modality-specific somatosensory evoked potential test protocol for clinical evaluation: A feasibility study.

Objective: We aimed to establish an objective neurophysiological test protocol that can be used to assess the somatosensory nervous system.

Methods: In order to assess most fiber subtypes of the somatosensory nervous system, repetitive stimuli of seven different modalities (touch, vibration, pinprick, cold, contact heat, laser, and warmth) were synchronized with the electroencephalogram (EEG) and applied on the cheek and dorsum of the hand and dorsum of the foot in 21 healthy subjects and three polyneuropathy (PNP) patients. Latencies and amplitudes of the modalities were assessed and compared.

Protective role of natural killer cells in neuropathic pain conditions.

During the past few years, the research of chronic neuropathic pain has focused on neuroinflammation within the central nervous system and its impact on pain chronicity. As part of the ERA-Net NEURON consortium, we aimed to identify immune cell patterns in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of patients with herpes zoster neuralgia and patients with polyneuropathy (PNP), which may contribute to pain chronicity in these neuropathic pain conditions. Cerebrospinal fluid of 41 patients (10 herpes zoster and 31 PNP) was analyzed by flow cytometry identifying lymphocyte subsets: CD4+ (T-helper cells), CD8+ (cytotoxic T cells), CD19+ (B cells), and CD56+ (natural killer [NK]) cells.

The early influence of COVID-19 pandemic-associated restrictions on pain, mood, and everyday life of patients with painful polyneuropathy.

Introduction: The SARS-Cov-2 pandemic requires special attention on its psychological effects and the impact on patients with chronic pain.

Objectives: This study aimed at examining the influence of the COVID-19 pandemic-associated regulations initiated by the German government on pain intensity and characteristics, emotional well-being, and everyday life of patients with painful polyneuropathy.

Methods: Forty-three patients (well assessed with questionnaires before the pandemic and without change of their health status between baseline and current assessment) were investigated with validated, self-reported questionnaires and COVID-19-specific items 2 weeks after the regulations came into effect.