White matter microstructural changes in post-traumatic headache: A diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) study.

Introduction: Post-traumatic headache (PTH) is a common consequence of mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) that can severely impact an individual's quality of life and rehabilitation. However, the underlying neuropathogenesis mechanisms contributing to PTH are still poorly understood. This study utilized diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) to detect microstructural alterations in the brains of mTBI participants with or at risk of developing PTH.

The acute hypoalgesic effects of active head-mounted display virtual reality games.

The purpose of this study was to determine: (1) whether physically active virtual reality (VR) games exert an acute hypoaglesic effect on the thigh and bicep compared to a non-active VR game and an exercise only condition matched for exercise intensity in healthy individuals, and (2) whether movement variables during gameplay are associated with the hypoalgesic effect of the games. Twenty young adults completed five separate study sessions, with each session devoted to playing one head-mounted display VR game or stationary cycling for 15 minutes. The games included Holopoint at level 2 and level 3, Hot Squat, and Relax Walk.

Exploring actual and perceived levels of physical activity intensity during virtual reality active games.

Background: Research suggests that engaging in active virtual reality (VR) video games can elicit light to moderate levels of physical activity (PA), making it a novel and fun mode of exercise. Further research is needed to understand the influence of VR on perceptions of exertion and enjoyment during PA.

Objective: The objectives of this study are (1) to compare actual and perceived exertion within and between active VR games with varying levels of difficulty and (2) to determine how playing active VR games influences PA enjoyment during gameplay.

Physical Activity to Prevent the Age-Related Decline of Endogenous Pain Modulation.

As humans age, the capacity of the central nervous system to endogenously modulate pain significantly deteriorates, thereby increasing the risk for the development of chronic pain. Older adults are the least physically active cohort of all age groups. We hypothesize that a sedentary lifestyle and decreased physical activity may contribute to the decline of endogenous pain modulation associated with aging.

Racial Differences in Head Pain and Other Pain-Related Outcomes After Mild Traumatic Brain Injury.

Recent research suggests that mild traumatic brain injury (TBI) may exert deleterious effects on endogenous pain modulatory function, potentially underlying the elevated risk for persistent headaches following injury. Accumulating research also shows race differences in clinical and experimental pain, with African Americans (AA) generally reporting more severe pain, worse pain modulation, and greater pain sensitivity compared with Caucasians. However, race differences in pain-related outcomes following mild TBI have rarely been studied.

Kinesiophobia Predicts Physical Function and Physical Activity Levels in Chronic Pain-Free Older Adults.

Advanced aging is associated with a general decline in physical function and physical activity. The current evidence suggests that pain-related fear of movement (i.e.

Physical activity behavior in the first month after mild traumatic brain injury is associated with physiological and psychological risk factors for chronic pain.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to determine whether self-reported physical activity (PA) in the first month after mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) predicts endogenous pain modulatory function and pain catastrophizing at 1 to 2 weeks and 1 month after injury in patients with mTBI.

Methods: Patients with mild traumatic brain injury completed study sessions at 1 to 2 weeks and 1 month after injury. Assessments included a headache survey, Pain Catastrophizing Scale, International Physical Activity Questionnaire-Short Form, and several quantitative sensory tests to measure endogenous pain modulatory function including conditioned pain modulation (CPM), temporal summation, and pressure pain thresholds of the head.

Effect of different Kinesio tape tensions on experimentally-induced thermal and muscle pain in healthy adults.

Athletes and rehabilitation specialists have used Kinesio tape (KT) to help alleviate pain symptoms. Currently, no clear mechanism exists as to why pain is relieved with the use of KT and whether the pain relieving effect is simply a placebo effect. Additionally, the most effective taping parameters (tension of tape) for pain reduction remain unknown.

Physical Activity Intensity, Perceived Exertion, and Enjoyment During Head-Mounted Display Virtual Reality Games.

The purpose of this study was to determine the following: (1) the level of physical activity (PA) achieved during commercial active virtual reality (VR) games, and (2) which active VR games elicit higher enjoyment levels in young, healthy adults. Thirty-six participants completed four study sessions, each devoted to playing one of the following head-mounted display VR games for 15 minutes: Beat Saber (BS), Holopoint (HP), Hot Squat (HS), and Relax Walk VR. PA intensity measures included percentage of heart rate reserve (%HRR), ratings of perceived exertion (RPE), and accelerometry.

The role of deficient pain modulatory systems in the development of persistent post-traumatic headaches following mild traumatic brain injury: an exploratory longitudinal study.

Background: Post-traumatic headache (PTH) is one of the most common and long-lasting symptoms following mild traumatic brain injury (TBI). However, the pathological mechanisms underlying the development of persistent PTH remain poorly understood. The primary purpose of this prospective pilot study was to evaluate whether early pain modulatory profiles (sensitization and endogenous pain inhibitory capacity) and psychological factors after mild TBI predict the development of persistent PTH in mild TBI patients.

Test-Retest Instability of Temporal Summation and Conditioned Pain Modulation Measures in Older Adults.

Objective: The temporal stability (test-retest reliability) of temporal summation of pain (TS) and conditioned pain modulation (CPM) has yet to be established in healthy older adults. The purpose of this study was to compare the temporal stability of TS and CPM in healthy older and younger adults and to investigate factors that might influence TS and CPM stability.

Methods: In a test-retest study, 40 healthy older adults and 30 healthy younger adults completed two sessions of quantitative sensory testing within a two-week period that included TS of heat pain, TS of mechanical pain, and CPM with pressure pain thresholds and suprathreshold heat pain as test stimuli and a cold water immersion as a conditioning stimulus.

Active Gaming: It Is Not Just for Young People.

Whether active gaming is an appropriate method to facilitate moderate-intensity physical activity in older adults remains unclear. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the intensity of physical activity and enjoyment while playing three active video games in older adults compared with younger adults. Ten younger and 10 older adults played three active games on separate days.

Effect of Acute Bouts of Volume-Matched High-Intensity Resistance Training Protocols on Blood Glucose Levels.

Monroe, JC, Naugle, KM, and Naugle, KE. Effect of acute bouts of volume-matched high-intensity resistance training protocols on blood glucose levels. J Strength Cond Res 34(2): 445-450, 2020-Resistance exercise has the capability to alter glucose metabolism in healthy adults; however, to what extent single sessions of varying intensities of resistance exercise affect capillary glucose levels is not completely understood.

The Decline of Endogenous Pain Modulation With Aging: A Meta-Analysis of Temporal Summation and Conditioned Pain Modulation.

The purpose of this article was to examine age-related changes in conditioned pain modulation (CPM) and temporal summation (TS) of pain using meta-analytic techniques. Five electronic databases were searched for studies, which compared measures of CPM and TS among healthy, chronic pain-free younger, middle-aged, and older adults. Eleven studies were included in the final review for TS and 11 studies were included in the review of CPM.

An Exploratory Study of Endogenous Pain Modulatory Function in Patients Following Mild Traumatic Brain Injury.

Background: Recent animal research suggests that mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) facilitates abnormal endogenous modulation of pain, potentially underlying the increased risk for persistent headaches following injury. However, no human studies have directly assessed the functioning of endogenous facilitory and inhibitory systems in the early stages after an mTBI.

Objective: The purpose of this exploratory study was to examine trigeminal sensitization and endogenous pain inhibitory capacity in mTBI patients in the acute stage of injury compared with matched controls.

Improving Active Gaming's Energy Expenditure in Healthy Adults Using Structured Playing Instructions for the Nintendo Wii and Xbox Kinect.

Naugle, KE, Carey, C, Ohlman, T, Godza, M, Mikesky, A, and Naugle, KM. Improving active gaming's energy expenditure in healthy adults using structured playing instructions for the Nintendo Wii and Xbox Kinect. J Strength Cond Res 33(2): 549-558, 2019-Professionals work constantly to increase energy expenditure and improve cardiovascular outcomes.

Physical Activity Levels Predict Exercise-induced Hypoalgesia in Older Adults.

Unlabelled: Prior research indicates that older adults exhibit a deficient capacity to activate multiple pain inhibitory mechanisms, including pain inhibition after acute exercise termed exercise-induced hypoalgesia (EIH). The influence of physical activity levels and psychological processes on EIH in older adults remains unclear.

Purpose: This study examined potential psychological and physical activity predictors of the magnitude of EIH after submaximal isometric exercise in healthy older adult men and women.

Sensitivity to Physical Activity Predicts Daily Activity Among Pain-Free Older Adults.

Objective: Prior research indicates that older adults with knee osteoarthritis have increased sensitivity to physical activity (SPA) and respond to physical activities of stable intensity with increases in pain. Whether SPA is present in healthy older adults without chronic pain and predicts functional outcomes remains relatively unexplored. The purpose of this study was to determine the degree of SPA in healthy older adults in response to a standardized walking task, and whether SPA was associated with temporal summation of pain, pain-related fear of movement, and functional outcomes.

Loss of Temporal Inhibition of Nociceptive Information Is Associated With Aging and Bodily Pain.

Unlabelled: An age-related decline in endogenous pain inhibitory processes likely places older adults at an increased risk for chronic pain. Limited research indicates that older adults may be characterized by deficient offset analgesia, an inhibitory temporal sharpening mechanism that increases the detectability of minor decreases in noxious stimulus intensity. The primary purpose of the study was to examine age differences in offset analgesia in community-dwelling younger, middle-aged, and older adults.

Active Gaming as a Form of Exercise to Induce Hypoalgesia.

Objective: An acute bout of moderate-to-vigorous exercise temporarily reduces pain sensitivity in healthy adults. Recently, active gaming has been rising in popularity as a means of light-to-moderate exercise and may be particularly suitable for deconditioned individuals. Whether the physical activity elicited in active games can produce a hypoalgesic effect remains unknown.

Physical activity behavior predicts endogenous pain modulation in older adults.

Older adults compared with younger adults are characterized by greater endogenous pain facilitation and a reduced capacity to endogenously inhibit pain, potentially placing them at a greater risk for chronic pain. Previous research suggests that higher levels of self-reported physical activity are associated with more effective pain inhibition and less pain facilitation on quantitative sensory tests in healthy adults. However, no studies have directly tested the relationship between physical activity behavior and pain modulatory function in older adults.

Increased spatial dimensions of repetitive heat and cold stimuli in older women.

Protocols of temporal summation (TS) of pain typically involve the delivery of brief repetitive noxious pulses of a constant intensity while measuring the perceived intensity of pain after each pulse. The size percept of noxious repetitive stimulation has been poorly characterized. Furthermore, no studies have investigated age differences in TS of cold pain.

Novel method for assessing age-related differences in the temporal summation of pain.

Temporal summation (TS) of pain protocols typically involve the delivery of brief repetitive noxious stimuli held at a constant intensity and measuring the consequent increase in the perceived intensity of pain sensations. To date, no studies have examined the effect of a TS protocol on the perceived spatial dimensions of the pain experience and its interaction with age. This study used a new TS protocol that examined changes in the perceived size of the painful area in 22 younger adults and 20 older adults.

Reduced Modulation of Pain in Older Adults After Isometric and Aerobic Exercise.

Unlabelled: Laboratory-based studies show that acute aerobic and isometric exercise reduces sensitivity to painful stimuli in young healthy individuals, indicative of a hypoalgesic response. However, little is known regarding the effect of aging on exercise-induced hypoalgesia (EIH). The purpose of this study was to examine age differences in EIH after submaximal isometric exercise and moderate and vigorous aerobic exercise.

Reliability of pain intensity clamping using response-dependent thermal stimulation in healthy volunteers.

Background: Pain intensity clamping uses the REsponse-Dependent Stimulation (REDSTIM) methodology to automatically adjust stimulus intensity to maintain a desired pain rating set-point which is continuously monitored from a subject's real-time pain ratings. REDSTIM blinds subjects regarding the pain intensity set-point, supporting its use for assessing intervention efficacy. By maintaining the pain intensity at a constant level, a potential decrease in pain sensitivity can be detected by an increase in thermode temperature (unknown to the subject) and not by pain ratings alone.